Warrior
by Books-and-Cleverness-394
Summary: Karina Odinson, a warrior princess, who also happens to be the Goddess of Fire and the younger sister of Thor and Loki, starts wondering if saving the universe is really worth the sacrifice it comes with. As she struggles with the events of New Mexico and Greenwich, Karina begins to wonder who she truly is and if being an Avenger is actually worth the grief it comes with.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes, I have started a new story. This has been something that's been in my head for a very long time and I finally feel ready to publish it! Updates will be irregular for the next couple of months (horary for exams) but I am far too in love with Karina to stop writing her! At the moment she has no love interest - that may change later on though - and Karina is definitely Thor's younger sister. This story will follow the majority of the MCU movies and will include some other stories too. Karina is about 5''6 and looks like the cover image.**

 **So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of _Warrior!_**

 ** _I own nothing except Karina and any other OC's mentioned throughout this story. All rights go to Marvel._**

* * *

It was on a warm day in the middle of spring that the new princess of Asgard was born. The news quickly spread through the streets, stall vendors hollering the news from their stalls. Asgardians excitedly turned to one another, chattering about the new princess. From his position at the Bifrost, Heimdall smiled as the news reached him, the universe shifting slightly as it heralded the arrival of a princess.

All around the royal chambers, guards stood to attention as the King led his two sons to meet their new sister.

"Come in and meet your little sister," Odin whispered holding onto his eldest son's hand as he led them into the room. Thor grabbed hold of his younger brother's hand as the two walked up to their mother. Sitting up in the bed, there she was, holding a small bundle buried in white cloth edged with gold. She looked up with a smile as both boys gently clambered onto the bed and inched closer to the bundle in their mother's arms. As the boys leant forward a soft gurgling noise came from the bundle. A tiny, pink hand appeared, stretching into the air. Both of them smiled in excitement as their mother leant forward and showed them their baby sister.

"Meet your little sister, Karina," their mother whispered. They both stared down at the bundle in their mother's arms. Loki reached out his little finger and his sister grasped onto it tightly, refusing to let go.

And at that moment, both brothers made a vow to protect her with their lives.

* * *

 _18 years later_

Karina slowly awoke to the smell of roses wafting in from her window. She shifted under her sheets, stretching her arms as she fumbled about for the bell to summon her maids. With a gentle ding, it fell off the cabinet next to her bed and rolled under the bed frame. Karina looked over the side of the bed and laid back with a sigh. She really did not want to get up. Savouring the last few moments of warmth and comfort she forced herself to tear the sheets off her body and sit up. Karina knew it would be only a matter of moments before her maids walked in and she wanted to savour the last few moments of peace she had before the chaos of the day crouched down and retrieved the bell from under her bed and rang it gently.

Just as she expected, her bedroom door swung open and her maids – all six of them – walked in, one carrying a tray for her breakfast, another carrying several dresses in her arms whilst another had an array of crowns and necklaces on her arms.

She hadn't asked for the bell. She didn't actually want it. But being the only one in the family aside from Loki to wake up ridiculously early she needed it.

Her maids bustled in and pulled open the curtains allowing the early morning light to stream watched, Karina sat on the side of her bed, one hand in her tangled blonde hair, as her maids bustled about, opening curtains and windows, airing out dresses, setting up breakfast and tidying up her room. as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. Outside Karinashe could vaguely hear the cheering from the streets and wondered what on earth they were celebrating now. It felt as if every other day was a party in Asgard. Her personal maid, Mariana, walked over to her and set a steaming cup of tea down next to her on the table. .

"Mariana," Karina started as the maid began to turn away.

"Yes, Karina?" Mariana replied with a small smile, a knowing glint in her eyes. Karina had insisted that her personal maid called her by her name to make things seem less…weird. The other maids she could do nothing about as they changed every day so she had to make do with them all calling her 'Your Highness' and curtsying every time she walked past.

"Why are they making such a racket at this early hour?" She asked, nodding to the window. tilting her head to the window.

Mariana chuckled quietly and smiled. "It's Thor's coronation day," Mariana reminded her. Karina stood up, nightdress swirling around her as she stared at Mariana in shock. Karina was immediately awake. How could she have forgotten Thor's coronation day? She was impressed that she'd managed to forget, considering Thor hadn't shut up about it since they'd announced the date. Anxiously she looked up at Marianna who gave her a relaxing smile. "It isn't until noon, don't worry."

"It isn't until noon, Princess," a maid called as she disappeared into the bathroom.

"Oh yay," Karina muttered, padding over to the table where her breakfast sat. She slid into one of the seats and began picking at her meal, sipping on her tea as her maids went about making her bed and ensuring her dress was perfect. As soon as she'd swallowed her last bite of breakfast, Karina was ushered into the bathroom where a steaming, lavender bath awaited her. Dismissing her maids from the steamy room, Karina stepped out of her nightdress and sunk into the bath, her body being hid under the mountain of bubbles. From then on, the morning was a blur. Karina barely remembered eating her minuscule breakfast – because otherwise, she wouldn't 'fit in her dress' according to Livia, the grumpy old maid who despised Karina but still served her – having a bath nor having her hair done. What felt like barely a minute after she'd awaken, but was, in fact, four hours later, she was dressed and ready for her brother's coronation.

As she sat there, washing her body with a soft cloth left on the side, Marianna slipped into the room, placing a warm towel on the side of the bath and collecting the nightdress off the floor, disappearing back out to the bedroom. Karina sighed, leaning back in the tub, letting the warm water lap over her body as she calmed herself, mentally preparing herself for chaos.

30 minutes later, Karina stepped out of the bath, cursing as she nearly slipped on the wet floor, and wrapped herself in the towel, drying herself off with it. Ensuring the towel was wrapped around her body tightly, Karina left the bathroom and walked into her bedroom where she was instantly engulfed by the maids sent to do her hair and makeup.

With a sigh, Karina resigned herself to their capable hands, trying not to fidget too much as she sat in the chair, drumming her fingers on the arms.

* * *

It was three hours later that Karina was finally deemed presentable with her hair tied back in a complicated four-strand braid and with rich purple flowers entwined within the strands. She'd squeezed herself into a stunning, purple ballgown with a black, military-style jacket on top with gold embroidery on the lapels. Karina took a step away from the mirror, watching as the dress swirled around her feet, brushing over her open-toed heels.

There was a gentle knock at the door and Karina looked up, a smile on her face. Livia opened the door just a crack and Karina heard the calming voice of Loki waft through.

"I'm here for Karina," he said through the gap.

"On whose orders?" Livia asked and Karina rolled her eyes.

"Oh, for Odin's sake, Livia," she exclaimed, standing up from her vanity table. "Let him in." With a not-so-subtle glare sent in both Loki and Karina's way, Livia opened the door and allowed her brother into the room. Karina walked over to him, her silver heels clicking on the stone floor as she went.

"Hang on," Loki called causing her to stop.

"What?" Karina asked, looking down at herself.

"Nothing, I just wanted to savour the moment of you being dressed up," Loki replied and Karina glared at him.

"It's not that rarer a thing," she grumbled in reply, taking Loki's offered arm. Loki smiled down at his sister as the two made their way down the corridor and towards the throne room. Loki was wearing his usual green and gold armour with a gold-horned helmet on over his slick-backed black hair.

Karina was wearing a lilac coloured gown that was covered in white lace. It was long sleeved and had a see-through back with buttons along it. It trailed behind her and the back of the dress was pleated so that it folded over her bum. Her hair was curled and had been tied up into a half bun design with a few tendrils of hair hanging down across her face. Her eyes had been dusted with a gold eyeshadow and her eyelashes darkened. She wore silver chandelier earring and had a large bejewelled crown with gold flowers soldered to it balanced in her hair. Her ruby red lips curled up into a smile as Loki opened the door for her and she gently nudged him with her shoulder. Loki returned the smile as the two walked into the back room of the throne room.

It was lit up by two gold bowls glowing with fire on either side of the door. The reflections of the dancing fire could be seen in the golden walls either side and the shadows waltzed around the ceiling above their heads. The two siblings stood next to each other at the top of the steps waiting for their cue. They could hear the cheering coming from the throne room and Karina let out a long breath, wiping her sweaty hands on her dress. She shook her hands, causing her bracelets to jangle together, to release the tension that had built up in them. She also had a nervous habit of cracking her knuckles whenever stressed. As she went to crack her right hand, Loki grasped her wrist and turned her to face him, holding her hand in his.

"Stop panicking," he whispered quietly, rubbing a soothing circle on the back of her hand. Karina looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm trying," she replied looking into the bowl of fire. "I just…I don't want to mess this up for him."

"And you won't," Loki told her confidently. "Out of everyone in this family, you are the last person I'd expect to mess things up." Karina smiled and squeezed Loki's hand. From behind them, the door to the ante-chamber opened and a large figure stepped in, a bottle of Asgard's finest in his hand. He swallowed it down in one and threw it into the fire yelling "ANOTHER" as he went. The fire roared up as more fuel was added and Karina rolled her eyes at her brother's dramatic entry as Thor stepped down to join them.

"I like your helmet," Karina complemented as he came to a halt next to her. "It's very…bird-like."

"Well, your crown is very floral," Thor replied with a smile. Loki sighed as Karina's lips curled into a smirk.

"It's a tiara and this," she pointed to the tiara on her head, "is worth more than your piece of metal." Thor gasped in horror at that comment and Karina giggled. "Relax, I'm kidding." Thor sighed in relief and pressed a kiss to Karina's head as she chuckled.

"Are you two quite finished?" Loki asked as the door at the bottom of the stairs opened. Karina sobered up quickly as she realised it was almost time.

Loki noticed and rubbed her arm as he walked past her. "Keep smiling," he whispered as he walked down the stairs to the throne room. Karina took his advice and smiled, ignoring the cheers from the waiting crowd as Loki emerged. The doors shut again, plunging the chamber back into the gloomy light.

An awkward silence fell between the two remaining siblings. Karina and Thor had never been extremely close to one another; they simply didn't have interests in the same thing. Thor was about the ladies, war and fighting all the time. Karina was more interested in reading, peace and honing her gift for magic. She did know how to fight – Sif had trained her for several years and both were highly skilled in battle – but she simply didn't feel as if she needed it to survive like Thor did. For Thor, it was like a drug; he couldn't get enough of bloodshed and killing. But Karina liked it because she could release her anger and manipulate things with her magic.

The door to the throne room opened once again and Karina took a deep breath, standing straighter. Thor looked down at her and squeezed her hand as if to say 'good luck'. She looked up at him and smiled as she picked her dress up and walked down the small flight of stairs to the doorway.

The guard standing by the door nodded at her as she passed and a trumpet blew out a fanfare as she emerged into the room. "Introducing, Princess Karina Malia!" he announced.

The cheering was deafening.

Karina remembered Loki's wise words and kept smiling as she walked down the hall towards her father. With a small wave of her fingers, her dress began to glow and sparkle as she moved down the room, leaving behind a trail of glitter. Several small children in the audience looked on in awe as the princess walked past them and Karina gave them all a little wave as she passed. She stood proud and tall as she walked up the stairs to the throne, bending down into a low curtsey in front of Odin. She kept her head bowed down as he got up from his seat and walked over to her, taking her hand and helping her stand up from the curtsey.

Karina smiled at her father as he guided her over to where she was standing for the ceremony. He kissed her cheek gently before walking back over to his throne and sitting down.

"Nicely done," Sif whispered to her as she smoothed her dress out.

Karina smirked to herself. "They looked bored off their feet," she whispered back and Sif pressed her lips together to avoid laughing. Karina caught the glare from her mother and looked down with a smile as the doors opened yet again.

This time, Thor emerged with his hammer raised high into the air. He threw it up into the air and caught it to a loud cheer from the gathered people. Odin looked on, un-amused at his arrogant behaviour, and sighed in disapproval. Karina glanced over at her father and looked down at the ground as Thor begun showing off yet again.

"Show off," Sif muttered as Thor begun making his way up the stairs. Karina turned so that she was facing her brother as he placed Mjolnir on the floor in front of him and knelt down in front of Odin.

"Thor Odinson," Odin begun, sitting up on his throne. "my heir, my firstborn. So long entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star. Its power has no equal. It's a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king." Odin looked up at those gathered in the room. "I have defended Asgard, and the lives of the innocent across my realms in the time of the great beginning." Karina bit her lip as the most important part of the ceremony begun. Her hands curled into fists as Odin begun speaking. "Do you swear to guard the nine realms?" Odin asked as Thor continued to look down at the ground.

"I swear," he replied in a voice that carried out across the room.

"And do you swear to preserve the peace?" Odin questioned and Karina's nails began to bite into her skin as she watched on anxiously.

"Do you swear to cast aside your selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realms?" Odin asked, his voice louder now.

"I swear!" Thor yelled.

Odin sat back on his throne with a small smile. "And on this day, I Odin, All-Father, will proclaim you - "Odin trailed off and looked off into the far distance. Karina could sense something was wrong; it niggled at the back of her mind. Suddenly her vision was obscured by a glimpse of the vault and the dead bodies of the guards sent to guard it. She gasped quietly and stumbled back a step into Loki who placed a hand on her back in both concern and support. "Frost Giants," Odin muttered quietly, confirming Karina's vision. He stamped his staff onto the floor and several sparks emerged. He stood up. "Come with me," he announced, waving a hand in the general direction of the siblings.

Karina glanced up at Loki who shrugged his shoulders in response to her silent question as he guided her down the stairs. Karina took a shaky breath in as she followed behind her father and Thor as they headed towards the vault.

Whatever had happened, wasn't good.

Karina followed behind Loki as they hurried down to the vault. What were Frost Giants doing in Asgard? She came to a sudden stop behind Loki as they all stared at the scene before them. Three dead Frost Giants laid inches away from one of the many artefacts in the vault. At the foot of the stairs laid the bodies of the two guards sent to protect the vault. Karina cautiously hovered at the top of the stairs as Thor and Odin made their way down to the dead Frost Giants.

What had happened? Her vision had only shown her part of the event – presumably the part where the Destroyer did its work – but it didn't answer her question: How had they gotten up here? Her visions were never clear. The event was always jumbled up in the wrong order and never happened just before the event was meant to happen. Either weeks or months before or one second before.

Thor's booming voice broke her out of her thoughts. "The Jotuns must pay for what they're done!" He exclaimed as Odin stared down at their bodies.

"They have paid," he replied as he turned around. "With their lives. They Destroyer did its work; the Casket is safesafe, and all is well." Odin turned around and begun walking back up the stairs.

"All is well?" Thor growled. Karina sighed mentally as Odin slowed down. Why could Thor never just leave things be? "They broke into the weapons vault! If the Frost Giants have stolen even one of these relics – "

"They didn't!" Odin yelled back. Karina could feel the tension in the room rising and looked up at Loki who was standing next to her. She gently reached out for his hand, entwining her fingers with his. He looked down at her and squeezed her hand as Thor rounded on Odin.

"Well, I want to know why?" Thor demanded, gesturing to the dead bodies.

"I have a truce with Laufey, King of the Jotuns," Odin reminded him.

"He just broke your truce! They know you are vulnerable," Thor shouted. Karina closed her eyes in disbelief as the argument carried on.

"What action would you take?" Odin asked coolycoolly. Karina looked at her father as if he was mad. Thor would choose war over peace any day!

"March into Jotunheim as you once did. Teach them a lesson; break their spirits so they'll never dare to cross our borders again!" Thor exclaimed. Karina sighed. Always war.

"You're thinking only as a warrior," Odin stated. Karina hummed quietly in agreement with his words. But his words seemed to anger Thor more than he already was.

"Well, this was an act of war!" He reminded him. Karina was really beginning to get fed up with Thor's useless attempt at trying to start a war. This was why they'd never gotten alone. All war and no peace.

"It was the act of but a few doomed to fail," Odin corrected.

"Look at how far they got!" Thor yelled.

"We will find the breach in our defences and it will be sealed," Odin said, calm against Thor's rage.

"As King of Asgard – "Thor begun

"But you're not King!" Odin yelled, finally losing his temper with his war-hungry son. "Not yet," he added in a calmer voice. Thor stared at his father for a while before growling and storming off out of the vault. He brushed shoulders with Karina, not even bothering to apologise, as he stomped up the stairs. Odin stood in the vault, strangely calm. Karina watched him for a moment before quietly following after Thor with Loki in tow.

They found him in the dining hall as he flipped over the table covered with food. Karina's stomach rumbled loudly as the smell of roast chicken wafted up towards her and she looked away quickly. Thor was sitting on the stairs of the dining hall, sulking. Karina quietly approached him from the front whilst Loki emerged behind him.

"It's unwise to be in my company now, brother," Thor stated quietly as he noticed Loki. "And you Karina," he added.

"This isn't my first time," she gently reminded him as she sat down next to him.

"This was to be my day of triumph," Thor grumbled. Karina smiled sadly at her brother. Thor had always wanted to be king, and to have it ripped away at the last moment…

"It'll come," Loki said. "In time." He paused for a moment. "If it's any consolation, I think you're right. About the Frost Giants, about Laufey, about everything." Thor grunted in agreement as Karina glared daggers at her brother. What, exactly, did he think he was doing?! "If they found a way to penetrate Asgard's defences once, who's to say they won't try again. Next time with an army."

"Exactly!" Thor exclaimed loudly, raising his hands in the air.

"But," Karina began quietly. "There's nothing you can do without defying father." She looked at Thor who gave her a look. Karina instantly hung her head in despair. She knew that look all too well.

"What happened in here?" Volstagg asked as he, Sif and the rest of the Warriors Three walked into the room. He began muttering under his breath about the loss of precious food and Karina rolled her eyes, turning back to Thor.

"Nothing can be done," Loki reminded Thor.

"Don't you dare," Karina warned as he gave Loki the same look he gave Karina.

"No!" Loki exclaimed. "No, no, no, no, no! I know that look!" He exclaimed as Thor got up. Karina sighed, standing up as Thor walked over to his friends.

"It's the only way to ensure the safety of our borders!" Thor said.

"Thor, it's madness," Loki told him.

"It's suicide," Karina added, standing next to Loki with her arms crossed and a glare on her face.

"Madness?" Volstagg asked as he finally managed to tear his attention away from the food. "What sort of madness?"

"We're going to Jotunheim," Thor announced excitedly. His announcement, however, was met with stunned silence.

"What?" Fandral gasped as Thor's words sunk in. "This isn't like a journey to earth, where you summon a little lightning and thunder and the mortals worship you as a god!" He exclaimed, stepping towards Thor. "This is Jotunheim."

"My father fought his way into Jotunheim. Defeated their armies and took their casket! We would just be looking for answers," Thor explained.

"It is forbidden!" Sif reminded him. Thor dismissed her with a wave of his hand and she sighed angrily.

"My friends, have you forgotten all that we have done together? Fandral, Hogun, who led you into the most glorious battles?" He asked and Karina groaned, knowing exactly what he was doing.

"You did," Hogun grunted. Thor smiled, knowing they were in.

"And Volstagg, to delicacies so succulent you thought you'd died and gone to Valhalla?" Thor questioned.

Volstagg hesitated, not wanting to answer the question. "You did," he answered begrudgingly.

"Yes! Thor exclaimed loudly as he turned to face Sif. "And who proved wrong all who scoffed at the idea that a young maiden could be one of the fiercest warriors this realm has ever known?"

"I did," Sif replied and Karina suppressed a laugh.

"True, but I supported you Sif," Thor said. "And of course, my siblings are coming too!"

Loki and Karina stared at him. "Yes…of course, we will," Loki replied slowly.

"Karina?" Thor asked hopefully. Everyone in the room turned to look at the woman still dressed in her coronation outfit.

"Nope," she replied.

"What? Why ever not?"

"Because it's suicide. Because it's reckless and stupid," she supplied, ticking them off on her fingers as she went. "I have an entire list in my head, need I go on?"

"But, sister. We've done so much together!"

"Yes, and I'm choosing to bow out now before I get executed for following my idiot brother into Jotunheim!" Karina yelled.

"Please," Thor said quietly.

"No, I have a fear of dying in cold places."

"Not even to try and stop me?"

Karina sighed, her shoulders sinking. "Fine!" She exclaimed turning to face him. "Fine! But only to stop you from murdering anyone within reach and so I can go 'I told you so' when it ultimately backfires in your face."

Thor looked around pure glee on his face.

"My friends, we're going to Jotunheim!" He exclaimed and Karina sighed, already beginning to regret this decision and they hadn't even left the planet yet!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed that last chapter! Your response has completely blown me away in surprise!**

 **This chapter is the Jotunheim battle and is quite full of action. We get to see a bit more of Karina's character and you'll finally get to see her signature colour!**

* * *

Karina used her magic to quickly change into her armour and tied her hair up in a french braid. Her armour was almost the exact same as Sif's except hers was purple and bronze and she didn't have a shield. Her arms were covered with bronze chain mail sleeves and her purple cloak was draped over her shoulders. Her two swords were tucked away in their sheaths on her back and they were her most trusted weapon. She met up with the others at the entrance to the bridge where they all mounted their horses.

Out the corner of her eye, Karina saw Loki walk up to one of the guards on duty and smiled to herself. At least one of her brothers was somewhat sensible. Karina clicked her horse into action and followed behind the other's as they made their way along the rainbow bridge. Within minutes they'd reached the Bifrost where Heimdall stood watching. Karina dismounted with a grunt, patting her horse on the neck as walked towards Heimdall.

Loki walked up to Heimdall, putting his typical, Prince Charming smile on to his face. "Good Heimdall," he began, stopping in front of him.

"You're not dressed warmly enough," Heimdall interrupted and Karina smiled to herself at his words. So blunt, but yet so loveable. "Do you think that you can deceive me?"

"You must be mistaken – "

"Enough," Thor cut in. Loki looked away with a sour expression on his face and Karina stifled a laugh. "Heimdall, may we pass?" Thor asked pleasantly.

"Never has an enemy slipped my watch until this day. I wish to know how that happened," said Heimdall.

"Then tell no one where we have gone until we've returned. Understand?" Heimdall nodded and Thor walked past him, the rest of the group following behind them.

Volstagg turned to face Loki, a smirk on his face. "What happened? Silver tongue turned to lead?" He asked and they all laughed.

Karina watched on as Loki's face filled with annoyance at Volstagg's words and she reached out to grab his hand.

"Ignore them," she whispered quietly as they walked into the Bifrost. "We've got far more important things to worry about." Loki smiled back, giving her hand a brief squeeze. As they approached the portal, Karina drew her two swords from their sheaths, allowing her magic to flow into them. They suddenly lit up with a light purple glow as her magic surrounded them. Karina looked up and got Sif watching her with a smile and she smiled back.

They stood by the Bifrost portal, weapons ready. "Be warned. I will honour my sworn oath to protect this realm as its gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed to you; and you'll be left to die in the cold waste of Jotunheim," Heimdall said. Karina shivered at the thought of being stuck in Jotunheim and silently cursed Thor for being so stupid.

"Couldn't you just leave the bridge open for us?" Volstagg asked and Karina rolled her eyes at his stupidity.

"To leave the bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim, with you upon it," Heimdall answered back bluntly. Volstagg looked taken aback by the Gatekeepers bluntness but Karina was too busy worrying to take too much notice.

"I have no plans to die today," Thor said quietly as he twiddled his hammer in his hand.

"None do." With those words echoing in their minds, Heimdall pushed the sword into its slot and turned it, activating the portal. All seven of them were sucked in and after a bright flash of rainbows and sparks, they landed on the empty, cold plain of Jotunheim.

Karin shivered, wrapping her arms around her tightly to try and keep some resemblance of warmth in her. The sky was dark and grey and snow fell in a blizzard around them. Slowly, they all raised their weapons and began to walk forward, Thor leading the way. Karina could've sworn he was walking with a sway of arrogance and his entire attitude reeked cockiness.

"You have come a long way to die, Asgardians." A deep voice echoed around them and Karina stiffened as she realised who was speaking. Laufey.

"I am Thor Odinson," Thor yelled, his voice bouncing off the towering rock formations surrounding them.

"We know who you are," Laufey said.

"How did your people get into Asgard?" Thor asked. Karina swallowed the lump in her throat as she noticed the frost giants beginning to surround them. Looking around, everyone except Thor had noticed the growing crowd.

"The house of Odin is full of traitors." Laufey's reply hit Karina like a brick. She looked over at Sif who shared her worried expression.

"Do not dishonour my father's name with your lies!" Thor yelled, his grip on his hammer tightening. Karina felt, rather then heard, the tension rising and thicken as they all readied themselves to fight the giants. A large gust of wind swept Karina's purple cloak around her legs and loose pieces of hair flew in front of her face. She brushed them back impatiently as she waited for Laufey's reply.

"Your father is a murderer and a thief! Why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle. You crave it! You're nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man," Laufey growled. Around them, more and more Frost Giants appeared, anger evident on there faces at being disturbed by seven Asgardians.

Well, this boy has grown tired of your mockery," Thor replied angrily, twirling his hammer in his hand.

Loki stepped forward placing a hand on Thor's shoulder. "Thor, stop and think!" He whispered. "Look around you. We're outnumbered!"

"Know your place brother," Thor snapped, brushing Loki's hand off his shoulder. Karina sighed as Loki took a step back away from Thor. She reached out and grasped his hand in hers needing the comfort as the freezing wind picked up and snow began falling around them faster than before.

"You know not what your actions would unleash. I do." Laufey took a step forward towards them. "Go, now. While I still allow it."

Loki swallowed and looked up at Laufey. "We will accept, your most gracious offer," he said. Karina turned around and begun to make her way back to the Bifrost landing site. Thor, however, made no move to leave, staring up at Laufey suspiciously. "Come on, brother!" Loki called as he realised Thor wasn't following. Thor let out a low growl and turned around, catching up with the group.

"Run back home, little princess," Laufey called after them mockingly. Thor stopped suddenly.

"Damn," Loki whispered, clenching his fists.

"So close," Karina whispered as Fandral lowered his head in despair. Thor smirked as he gripped his hammer. He spun around and hit Laufey with it, sending him flying across the icy plain.

"Next?" Thor asked the Frost Giants standing next to him before he threw his hammer at him and pushed him into the rock face.

Karina groaned as more and more Frost Giants emerged. She drew her two swords, flicking them out to the side so that they extended into two double-edged swords. She spun around and stabbed on Frost Giant in the leg, causing him to crumple to the floor in pain. As she spun around she saw Loki throw a dagger at one, shattering its ice shield and hitting him in the shoulder. Sif was managing her own, stabbing several Frost Giants that launched themselves at her.

"At least make it a challenge for me!" Thor yelled. Karina rolled her eyes with a huff as she stabbed yet another Frost Giant that had been making its way up behind her. She really hated her brother right now. She blew a stray piece of hair out of her face and could feel sweat begin to dampen her back despite the freezing conditions. From above, two Frost Giants ran out of the cave, landing in front of Karina. She launched herself at them, only for a shield of ice to send her flying through the air and into a cliff face behind her. She felt her back smack the jagged face and a searing pain shot through her spine as she crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath.

Thor – oblivious to what had just happened – mimicked the roar of the Frost Giant and hit him with his hammer. The Frost Giant growled and head-butted him in the face. Thor laughed, but it soon turned into a growl as the Frost Giant pushed him away. "That's more like it," he smirked as he got up.

Karina groaned as she sat up. A hand appeared in front of her and she looked up to Hogun standing over her. With a grunt, she took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She stumbled slightly, her head still spinning from her trip through the sky, and Hogun gripped her arm to stop her falling over.

"You good?" He grunted.

"I'm good," she replied. With a nod, Hogun took off towards the next wave of Frost Giants. Looking around, she saw her swords nowhere in sight and groaned. "Fine." She clenched her fists and a bright purple glow appeared around them. A smirk appeared on her face as a Frost Giant noticed her and ran towards her. She shot a purple flame at it and he crashed to the ground in a cloud of snow. Her eyes, with make-up slightly smudged underneath them, glowed purple as her magic thrummed through her veins, healing any minor injuries she'd sustained.

A scream of pain emerged from Volstagg as a Frost Giant gripped his bare arm. It let go as Karina threw a ball of fire at it and Volstagg moved away, a black burn on his arm. "Don't let them touch you!" He yelled out as he inspected his arm.

Thor was still in his own world as he hit the Giants with his hammer. Karina leapt over the dying body of one and picked up a discard dagger lying on the floor. As she looked up her heart stopped. "Loki!" She cried as she watched a Frost Giant grasp his bare arm tightly. But no black burn appeared. Instead, the exposed skin on his arm begun to turn the same blue as the Frost Giants surrounding them and the Frost Giant stared at Loki in shock. Ignoring his own surprise and shock, Loki sent a dagger into the Frost Giant's chest causing him to let go and collapse to the floor.

Karina looked at Loki as he turned to face her, eyes wide with shock. Neither got a chance to comment as Fandral cried out in pain as he was impaled by an ice shard. Karina threw the dagger she'd picked up into a Frost Giant advancing towards him as Hogun and Volstagg pulled Fandral off the shard. As Karina ran over to them she spotted her two swords lying on the floor. as she ran towards them, a Frost Giant began running towards her. As he approached, Karina fell to her knees, skidding on the ice picking her swords up as she went. She stood up and spun around, stabbing the Giant in the chest with a swirl of purple magic surrounding the sword. He fell to his knees, pain and shock evident on his face. Karina stood over him for a moment, watching him die, hands shaking as the adrenaline wore off. She rarely killed in battle, aiming to maim and wound - never to kill. This was only her second battlefield and killing still hurt; even if they were going to kill her.

"Ria!" Loki yelled. She looked over and saw him standing with the Warrior's three, defending them from any Giants coming their way. She quickly ran over to them and stood to his left, swords raised and glowing.

"Thor," Sif yelled over the howling wind but he ignored her and continued on fighting.

"We must go!" Loki yelled. Thor, still ignoring them, threw his hammer, allowing it to plough down Frost Giant after Frost Giant. From where he stood, Laufey smirked, throwing his hand out to the side. From in front of them, the ice began to crack around a frozen beast. Karina looked up in horror as the glowing red eyes of the east emerged from behind the ice. Fandral groaned as Volstagg lifted him over his shoulders and began to run away from the approaching beast. Karina followed swiftly behind and sped up as she heard the beast roar behind them. They managed to get a slight head start, but as the beast bounded towards them, it felt fruitless. From behind them, Karina could hear Thor hitting the Frost Giants with his hammer either oblivious to their impending doom or highly aware of it.

A sudden lightning blast cracked open the sky behind them as Thor raised his hammer into the air, summoning the lightning. He then stabbed his hammer into the ground, sending the lightning through the icy plain and cracking it open. Frost Giants began tumbling through the cracks as they attempted to outrun the breaking plain. Karina could feel the Beast breathing down her neck and silently urged herself to run faster. Its tail landed in the ice, metres behind her as it failed to stop itself from falling off. It disappeared and Karina allowed herself a moment to breathe.

Only for the ice to crack beneath her feet.

She screamed as she began to fall, her hands failing to find any grip on the slippery ice above. Suddenly, a hand caught hers and begun to pull her up onto the unbroken ice. Karina looked up and saw Loki standing above, his hand holding her arm tightly as he hauled her up. Karina used her free hand to push herself up the rest of the way and the siblings fell on the ice, gasping for breath as they realised they were safe. Loki got up first, holding out his hands for Karina to take. She took them, her hands shaking violently from shock and cold, and stumble as she was hauled to her feet. Loki caught her as she stumbled, steadying her.

"Thanks," she said shakily. Loki smiled and they jogged to catch up with the rest of the group. Sif stopped suddenly, kicking up a stray pebble and sending it over the edge of the cliff they were on. She watched as it fell down into the chasm below them. Volstagg looked down in horror at the drop awaiting them and let out a sigh. Sif turned around and raised her sword as the Frost Giants began to advance towards them.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost!" Volstagg yelled. Nothing.

From behind them a growling slowly grew louder and louder as the Beast climbed the side of the cliff, its red eyes boring into them. They all took a step back as the Beast pushed itself up onto the ice and let out a roar. Karina let out a shaky breath as the Beast stood on its hind legs and towered over them. Behind them, Thor had finally noticed their predicament and twirled his hammer around, flying towards them. Instead of stopping in front of the Beast, he flew straight through its mouth as it let out another roar. Karina stood in shock as her brother landed in front of and watched as it slowly slid off the cliff.

Thor turned around a smile on his face. But the smile fell as he saw the Frost Giants gathering around them in a wide semi-circle. They were outnumbered. Karina and Sif both took a step back, closer to the others as the Frost Giants began to close in on them. Karina began to panic, knowing they were most likely dead when a bright light appeared from above them. It quickly turned into a rainbow as the Bifrost began to portal down someone from Asgard.

And Karina knew exactly who that person was.

The light faded and Odin emerged, sitting astride his horse, and an enraged look on his face. His fierce look softened ever so slightly when he saw Karina shaking with fear and cold in front of him but it returned when he saw Thor.

Thor missed the look completely and turned to face him. "Father! Let's finish them together!" He yelled, raising his sword into the air.

"Silence," Odin roared. Karina looked at her older brother in worry as his face fell and anger began to display. Laufey suddenly appeared, looming over the exhausted group on a shard of ice.

"All-Father. You look weary," he said.

"Laufey, end this now," Odin sighed. Karina slowly turned to face her father and realised that he _did_ look weary. Exhausted even.

"Your boy sought this out," Laufey reminded him. Snow had begun to fall around them again, swirling up in the harsh breeze before waltzing out of the breeze and floating down to land on Karina's face. It was getting colder by the second; Karina had no idea what Laufey would do to them if he found Thor's attack a reason to declare war on Asgard. But it wasn't the thought of war that sent shivers down Karina's spine and made her lungs tighten. It was the thought of what Odin would do to Thor to punish him for this.

"You're right." Odin's voice abruptly pulled Karina out of her thoughts and back to the situation with a hefty bump. "These are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such. You and I can end this, here and now; before there's any more bloodshed."

Laufey's demeanour turned hostile. "We are beyond diplomacy, All-Father. Your son will get what he came for:War and Death."

"So be it." Odin's reply was frosty. As Laufey's armour began to extend towards them, ready to kill them all in a slash, the light of the Bifrost engulfed them all and within seconds they were back on Asgard. Karina stumbled back at the force of their landing as her sight became dotted with black spots.

"Get him to the healing room!" Odin yelled. Without hesitating, Hogun and Volstagg carried Fandral off to the healing room, Sif hot on their heels. Heimdall pulled the sword from the Bifrost and disappeared out the room, standing guard on the bridge in front of the Bifrost, leaving the family alone.

Karina felt the gentle hand of Loki settle on her shoulder as Thor turned around and glowered at Odin. Never before had she seen her brother so furious at her father. He'd always admired him and respected him (to a certain degree). But now it was replaced by cold, hard fury.

"Why did you bring us back?" Thor growled, eyes glimmering with rage.

"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?" Odin asked. Karina could feel the growing tension between them and took a step closer to Loki, seeling his warmth and safety. Her hands had yet to stop shaking and she could feel bruises beginning to form on her back.

"I was protecting my home!" Thor yelled in response, gesturing to Asgard.

"You cannot even protect your friends!" Odin replied harshly. Thor stopped his pacing and faced his father. "How can you hope to protect a kingdom?"

"There won't be a kingdom to protect if we're afraid to act! The Jotuns must learn to fear me; just as they once feared you," Thor replied, his voice dripping with unleashed anger.

"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership. You've forgotten everything I taught you about a warrior's patience." Odin replied.

"While you wait and be patient, the nine realms laugh at us! The old ways are done! You'd stand around giving speeches while Asgard falls!" Thor said, taking a step closer to Odin.

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin yelled, his voice booming across the Bifrost. Karina and Loki both took a step back at the fury in his voice.

"And you are an old man and a fool!" Thor shouted. Karina stared at her brother in pure shock. He'd done it now.

"Yes, I was a fool. To think you were ready," Odin muttered quietly. He paused for a moment. Then, he looked up at Thor with cold eyes and a posture that said he wouldn't be persuaded to change his mind.

Karina took a step forward. "Father…" she began.

"Silence!" He yelled, pointing a finger at her. He'd never yelled at her before. Ever. Karina stumbled back slightly and Loki's arm slid silently around her shoulders as she stared straight ahead. "Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the express command of your King. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!" He took a step towards Thor. "You are unworthy of these realms. You are unworthy of your title!" Karina let out a soft gasp as Odin ripped Thor's medals and cape off his shoulders and threw them to the ground in disgust. "You are unworthy…" Odin trailed off, glancing behind him at Karina. "of the loved ones you have betrayed. I now take from you, your power!" Odin reached out his hand and Thor's hammer flew straight into it. "In the name of my father!" The shield on Thor's right arm smashed into pieces before Karina's very eyes. "And his father." This time, the left shield smashed.

"No," Karina whispered. She felt Loki hold her against him, his hand stroking her shoulder as tears built up in her eyes.

"I, Odin, All-Father, cast you out!" A flash of lightning. A rumble of thunder. The Bifrost opened and Karina could only watch as Thor was sucked into it. His eyes met Karina's as he felt the bridge suck him away and he could only feel bitter sorrow at how he'd failed his sister. As the Bifrost closed around him he closed his eyes and saw the tear-filled eyes of his younger sister watch him disappear.

Karina felt like her knees were about to give way in shock, but she forced herself to stay upright. Everything was falling apart around her. Odin held Thor's hammer against his lips and whispered the oath of Thor. He drew his arm back and threw the hammer into the Bifrost, sending it to wherever Thor had ended up. Without any hesitation, Odin turned around and strode down the rainbow bridge, leaving Loki and Karina behind.

"Karina, come on," Loki whispered as he began to help his sister back to Asgard.

"He didn't. He can't." Karina was mumbling under her breath, hands shaking as Loki guided her back to the palace. She didn't remember walking through the town. She didn't remember Loki picking her up once they reached the safety of the palace. Nor did she remember him placing her in his bed. But she did remember what her father had done.

Thor was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow! I'm still so overwhelmed by the number of people who have begun following this story! I am really enjoying writing Karina, she's such a complex character!**

 **I just wanted to state something quickly: Karina gets bored _very_ easily. So, her being Loki's sister, she spends a lot of time in the library where she stumbled upon some books about Midgard. Needless to say, she knows far more about Earth and how it works than anyone else in her family. Something which will be very useful later on. **

**Anyway, thank you to everyone who favourited, reviewed and followed the last chapter! It means a lot to know people are enjoying this story!**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

Three days.

Three days had passed since Thor had been banished.

Karina had rarely left her chambers in that time, choosing to read and keep to herself instead. She missed him more than she was expecting too and constantly worried about him. Sighing, she turned the page in her book. She'd chosen to leave her bedroom for the comfort of the Warrior's lounge - where Sif and the Warrior's Three were currently sitting – and had changed into a simple, white, three-quarter length sleeved dress with gold embroidery on the front. She'd tied her hair up into a messy ponytail and had put in tiny, gold heart earrings. Fandral had almost completely recovered from his injury and was almost back to his old ways.

"We should've never let him go!" Volstagg said suddenly, making Karina jump. Se looked up and saw him pacing about the room, axe in his hand.

"There was no stopping him," Sif reminded and Karina hummed in agreement. Volstagg sighed and sat down again, unsure as to what to do with himself.

"At least he's been banished, not dead. Which is what we'd all be if that guard hadn't told them where we'd gone," Fandral added.

"How did the guard even know?" Volstagg asked. Karina opened her mouth to respond when someone else answered for her.

"I told him." Loki walked into the room, turning the room's attention to him. Karina closed her book and turned to look over her shoulder at her brother. She gave him a small smile as his words sunk into the other Asgardian's in the room.

"What?" Fandral demanded, shock on his face.

"I told him to go to Odin after we'd left. He should be flogged for taking so long. We should never have reached Jotunheim," Loki said calmly, walking further into the room.

"You told the guard?!" Volstagg exclaimed, getting to his feet. Karina stood up, the skirt of her dress falling around her ankles as she did so, and placed a hand on Volstagg's.

"Calm," she said quietly. He looked down at her and gave her a small smile, taking a step back from Loki.

"I saved our lives. And Thor's. I had no idea father would banish him for what he did." Loki stood in the doorway, hands behind his back, looking ever so…calm about everything.

"Loki," Sif stood up, moving to stand next to Karina, "you must go to the All-Father and convince him to change his mind."

"And if I do, then what? I love Thor more dearly than any of you, but you know what he is." Karina looked at him, eyes narrowed I confusion at his words. Something was off with Loki and Karina had a suspicion she knew exactly what it was. "He's arrogant, he's reckless, he's dangerous! You saw how he was that day. Is that what Asgard needs from its King?" Loki let out a sigh, turning on his heel, and walked out the room leaving Karina staring after him in shock.

' _What is going on_?' she mused in her head. ' _Loki's acting like he's King now_.'

"He may speak for the good of Asgard but he's always been jealous of Thor," Sif said after a moment of silence. Karina didn't have the brainpower to argue, she was too busy wondering if Loki had disappeared to do something stupid. And if that stupid act would have something to do with what happened ion Jotunheim.

"We should be grateful to him. He saved our lives," Volstagg reminded.

"Laufey said there were traitors in the House of Odin A master of magic could bring three Jotuns into Asgard," Hogun spoke suddenly, startling the occupants. There was silence as they considered his words.

"Loki has always been one for mischief, but you're talking about something else entirely," Fandral said quietly.

"Karina? You've been awfully quiet considering we were just talking treason about your brother." Karina looked up and saw Volstagg staring at her. "Do you think Loki could've sent the Jotuns here?" He asked.

"Volstagg!" Fandral and Sif hissed. All four of them looked carefully at Karina as she continued to stare down the corridor.

"If I'm honest, I'm not sure I know what Loki's capable of anymore," she replied quietly. She sighed and began walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hogun asked as she opened the door.

"To make sure Loki doesn't do anything stupid," she replied over her shoulder as she disappeared through the door and into the corridor.

* * *

She knew where Loki had gone. Even without using her magic to find him she knew he'd gone down to the vault to where the Frost Giant casket lay. She quickly hurried down the corridor that went down to the vault, her heart beating ridiculously fast. It was as she hurried down the stairs to the vault that she heard Odin's booming voice echo out, and knew that Loki had just discovered the truth.

"Stop!"

Karina slowed down her descent as she slowly walked into the vault. Loki was standing at one end, the casket in his hands, Odin stood at the other. Karina could tell, even from the opposite end of the room, that Loki's skin had turned blue, just like it had done in Jotunheim.

"Am I cursed?" Loki's voice sounded broken and Karina could only stand and watch.

"No," Odin said quietly.

"What am I?" Loki asked, setting the casket down gently.

"You're my son," Odin told him.

Loki slowly turned around and Karina held back a gasp of shock. Loki's skin had turned entirely blue and his eyes were bright red.

'It can't be' she thought.

"What more than that?" Loki asked as he began to slowly walk towards Odin. "The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Joutnheim that day, was it?" The question hung unanswered in the air for a while. After a moment, Odin answered.

"No." Odin paused. "In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple, and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring. Abandoned. Suffering. Left to die." Another pause. "Laufey's son."

"What?" Karina whispered looking down at the ground in shock.

"Laufey's son?" Loki questioned, his eyes glinting with fury.

"Yes." Odin's words seemed like he was sentencing Loki to death.

"Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?" Loki said, his voice getting louder with every word as he walked closer to Odin.

"You were an innocent child."

"No! You took me for a purpose. What was it?" Loki asked, tears falling down his face. Karina could only watch, her heartbreaking apart, as she listened to the truth about her brother. "Tell me!" Loki cried. Karina felt a tear fall down her face but made no move to wipe it away.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance. Bring about permanent peace, through you." The last two words were said so quietly that Karina thought she'd misheard.

But Loki's whispered "What?" confirmed that she had heard correctly.

"But those plans no longer matter," Odin said, waving it away quickly.

"So, I'm no more than another stolen relic? Locked up, here, until you might have use of me!" He yelled, his eyes red from crying and his face stained with tears.

"Why do you twist my words?"

"You could have told me what I was, from the beginning!" Loki exclaimed. "Why didn't you?"

"You're my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth," Odin answered with a softness Karina didn't know he possessed.

"What? Because I…I... I'm the monster that parents tell their children about a night!" Loki yelled, walking closer to Odin, his body radiating fury.

"No! No!" Odin exclaimed, his voice growing weaker as he spoke. Karina looked at her father in concern as he began to look paler, weaker and older with every word.

"It all makes sense now. Why you favoured Thor, all these years! Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on your throne of Asgard!"

"Loki!" Karina exclaimed as Odin slowly fell down onto the stairs, his eyes slowly closing. Loki looked up at her in horror as he realised what had happened. Odin's hand stretched out towards Loki as if Odin wanted to hold onto Loki. Karina slowly walked down the stairs as Loki kneeled beside Odin, hands shaking as he tried to figure out what to do.

"Guards!" Loki cried, panic and pain clear in his voice. The golden doors behind them swung open and two guards rushed into the room. "Guards, please help!" As the guards gently, lifted Odin off the stairs and carried him away, Karina placed a gentle hand on her brother's shoulder. Loki looked at her, tears continuing to fall down his face. With a sob, Loki fell into Karina, arms wrapping around her tightly as he cried. Karina closed her eyes, longing the tears to remain there as her brother cried. She rubbed his back gently as she looked up at the ceiling. Karina let out a shaky breath as she locked her tears away; for now, she had to be strong.

* * *

After the shock revelation of early, Karina had snuck off to her room for a moment of peace away from the madness of the palace. Her brain was moving at a million miles a second – God knows how Loki felt – and she could barely focus on getting herself to her room.

Sitting on a stone bench on her balcony, overlooking the waterfall that cascaded into the royal garden below, Karina let her mind wander away. It was just her, the sound of water and the birds chirping in the trees. A slice of peace in the madness of her world. Within a matter of days, everything she loved and cherished was being ripped from her grasp. Her brother, who she looked up to and cherished, no longer considered himself as part of the family. Deep down, Karina suspected she knew what was going to happen next. But it didn't mean she wanted to watch it happen. She didn't want to watch her brother turn mad and try to take over Asgard. Nor did she want to watch her brother's fight.

Then. A familiar feeling crept over her body, causing her to sit up straight. Her hands began to tremble slightly as bright purple dots appeared over her vision. Her heart began to beat faster as her hands began to glow purple. A vision - one of her most powerful ones to date - was coming and she had no one with her to bring her back.

"No, no, no," she whispered as she hurried indoors so that no one could see her. "Please don't make me watch this!" With trembling hands, Karina shut the doors to her balcony and pulled the curtains closed, starving the room of sunlight. As she stumbled over to her bed, head spinning, her knees gave away and sent her crashing to the floor, her hands barely stopping her from faceplanting it. The glow around her hands grew brighter; her sight became obscured with a purple light. And as her mind became overpowered with a vision, she vaguely felt herself fall to the floor with a thud.

Karina stood hesitantly outside the door to her father's room, torn between telling her mother about her latest vision or keeping it to herself. She braced herself to knock on the door when her mother's voice drifted out under the door.

"I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning." Frigga's voice, slightly muffled, said. Curious, Karina took a step closer to the door, not wanting to be seen or heard. "There should be no secrets in a family."

"So why did he lie?" Loki's voice this time. Leaning against the stone pillar that was next to the door, Karina settled herself in to listen. If she went in, the conversation would stop and she'd never know the truth. And she didn't want Loki to know about what she'd just seen.

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are in every way our son, Loki, and we are your family. You must know that." Frigga's voice was soft and calm as she spoke. Yet a wave of hidden anger at her husband's actions was there, Karina could sense it. Silence fell and Karina stood to go when Loki spoke again.

"How long will it last?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know," Frigga answered honestly. "This time is different. We were unprepared." Karina knew they were talking about Odin. It terrified her to think that her father was lying there, vulnerable, whilst the universe fell apart around them.

"I never get used to seeing him like this. The most powerful being in the Nine Realms lying helpless until his body is restored." It was as if Loki knew what Karina was thinking as he voiced it aloud.

"But he's put it off for so long now, I fear…" Karina could hear her mother sniff and knew she was crying, "You're a good son, Loki." Karina let out a quiet sigh at her mother's words. She couldn't tell her now. Now was not the time to mention what she'd seen. If what she'd seen was even true.

"We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us. And your brother." Karina perked up at the mention of Thor. She'd almost forgotten about his banishment 'till now.

"What hope is there for Thor?" Loki asked. Karina could hear the silent question that lied underneath his words and hoped that her vision wasn't true.

"There's always a purpose to everything your father does. Thor may yet find a way home." Footsteps walked towards the door and Karina quickly ducked to the other side of the pillar as two guards walked past and opened the door, blocking Loki's exit.

"Thor is banished. Your sister isn't old enough to manage on her own. The line of succession falls to you. Until he awakens, Asgard is yours," Frigga said. Karina barely managed to hide her gasp of shock at her mother's words. She didn't need to be in the room to see what was happening – she'd seen it all already.

The guards kneeling down to Loki, one holding out his sceptre, Gungnir. Loki reaches out slowly for it, unsure. Frigga speaks and Loki takes it, turning it in his hands. He likes the feel of it, the sense of power. A small smirk grows on his face –

Karina took a sharp breath in as she heard the door close behind Loki. Peering around the pillar, she saw her brother walk towards the throne room, sceptre in hand, cloak flowing out behind him.

"We're in trouble now," Karina whispered quietly before walking in the opposite direction in which her brother had gone.

Karina walked up to where Heimdall stood, hands on the hilt of his sword, eyes watching the universe. She stopped beside him, opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again.

"You've had a vision, haven't you?" Heimdall asked quietly.

"Yeah," Karina replied softly. She'd changed into a white blouse and long grey skirt that trailed behind her slightly and had a small bow at the waist. She'd tied her hair up into a loose bun and had almost no jewellery on except a simple gold bracelet with a lightning bolt on it.

"One that you cannot go to your family about." It was a statement rather than a question and Karina knew it. "How bad?"

"As bad as things could be given the current state of things," Karina replied. She let out a sigh and clenched her fists. "Heimdall, I really need to go and find Thor."

"I know," he said. Karina looked up at him and chuckled quietly.

"Of course, you do," she muttered. She stepped up on to the podium next to him and stared out at the universe. Stars blinked in and out of existence all over the sky and Karina watched a pink cloud swirl about. It looked so peaceful from her. Karina wondered what it would be like to fall into the abyss that was the universe; to forget everything that was wrong and to simply float amongst the stars.

"I cannot let you go just yet," Heimdall said suddenly. Karina looked up at him in surprise. "Your brother has just sent someone to come find you."

"Whatever for?" Karina asked looking behind them to see that a guard was, indeed, marching down the bridge towards them.

"That I cannot tell you." Heimdall cut off her reply before she could even speak, "come find me as soon as your done. I'll let you go then under the pretence that there's an emergency in one of the realms."

"Thank you," Karina told him. She gave his hand a squeeze as she turned around and walked towards the approaching guard.

"Your Highness," the Guard said, bowing deeply to her. "Loki demands your presence in the throne room."

"Why?" Karina asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

"I'm cannot answer that, Princess," he responded.

"Of course not," Karina muttered under her breath. She straightened her back and smiled at the guard. "Let's not keep him waiting then."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far! Again, thank you for all the reviews, followers and favourites, it really does mean a lot!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The throne room felt darker than usual as Karina walked in, her heels echoing loudly on the marble floor. Loki sat on the throne, Gungnir in hand and a smirk on his face as Karina approached. He subconsciously stroked the arm of the throne as Karina stopped before him frowning.

"Am I expected to curtsey?" Karina asked, resisting the urge to put her hands on her hips and stare him down.

"Of course not," he replied, standing up from the throne and walking down the stairs to hug her. She embraced him tightly, allowing herself a moment to pretend that things hadn't changed at all. Slowly, she let go, taking a step back and taking in how much Loki had changed in just a few hours.

"So," she began, "your King for now?"

Loki let out a sigh. "Indeed, I am, until Father wakes up at least." Karina nodded. "Karina…"

"What?" She asked, wariness in her voice as she asked.

"I can't rule by myself," Loki began. "I need someone to help me. To rule by my side like a consort."

"And you want me to recommend someone from the council who'd be the best fit?" She asked, wandering up the stairs to the throne.

"No, I want you to be my consort." Karina froze on the stairs and whirled around to face him, disbelief on her face.

"What?"

Loki walked towards her, taking her right hand in his. "I want you to be my consort." Loki smiled his trademark smile. "I can think of no one better than my sister, who always has a cool head and whom half the council are slightly intimidated by!"

Karina took a breath and smiled at Loki. "I'd be honoured," she replied, letting out a sigh as she spoke. Loki beamed and hugged her tightly. Karina returned the hug but the smile fell off her face. She most certainly had not anticipated this happening.

"Excellent," Loki said as he walked up to the throne and sat down in it. "Now, we can talk about what we're going to do." Karina forced a smile on her face and stood next to Loki. The doors to the throne room opened and both looked up at the intrusion as Sif and the Warrior's Three walked in. They bowed down and Sif began to speak.

"AllFather, we must speak with you urgently –" she stopped and stared in shock at Loki sitting on the throne with Karina by his side.

"What is this?" Volstagg asked quietly, taking a step towards him.

"My friends…haven't you heard? I am now Ruler of Asgard," Loki told them.

"Where is Odin?" Fandral asked, suspicion in his voice.

"Father's fallen into the Odinsleep. My mother fears he may never awaken again," Loki admitted. Karina stood there silently, questioning every word that came out Loki's mouth as he spoke.

"We would speak with her," Sif said quickly. The Warrior's Three and she shared a Loki, one that didn't go unnoticed by Loki.

"She has refused to leave my father's bedside. You can bring your urgent matter to me, your King," Loki said, standing up from the throne.

"We would ask you to end Thor's banishment," Sif stated, covering over her early mistake remarkably quickly.

"My first command cannot be to undo the AllFather's last," Loki said. Karina narrowed her eyes as he continued speaking. "We're on the brink of war with Jotunheim. Our people must have a sense of continuity in order to feel safe in these difficult times." Fandral looked up at Karina and the two locked eyes, a silent message conveyed between them as Loki continued. "We must stand together, for the good of Asgard."

"Of course," Fandral said, bowing. The other's followed his lead before leaving the room. Loki stared after them, an unreadable expression on his face.

Karina cleared her throat and took a step down from the throne. "If you'll excuse me, my King, I'm going to retire," she said. Loki merely nodded and Karina quickly left the room.

Fandral was standing in an alcove just down the corridor from the throne room, waiting for her. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him behind her as she hurriedly made her way towards her chambers.

"Karina?" Fandral asked as she shut the door behind them. She spun on her heels to face him.

"I'm going to find Thor," she told him.

"You're what?"

"I had a vision, a bad one." She began pulling her swords out from her wardrobe and throwing them onto her bed. "We need Thor. Heimdall already knows and has said he'll make up an excuse."

"We could come with you," Fandral offered, holding out her armour to her as she hurried past.

"No, he'll get suspicious. You need to stay here until things get really bad or I call you," Karina replied. She paused, standing in front of Fandral. "As much as it pains me to say this, I can't trust anyone other than you, Sif and the Warriors. Everyone else has bowed down to Loki already." She sighed. "There's an east wind coming, Fandral. And it's going to rock this realm to its core."

Karina walked up to Heimdall, sword in hand. She was still wearing her blouse and skirt except she'd untied her hair and it was currently sitting on her shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Heimdall asked when she stopped next to him. "This is technically treason."

Karina let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sure. Loki cannot be allowed to rule Asgard. If what my vision showed is true then – I don't know what I'd do. But Thor does." She took a deep breath in, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she did so. "How is he?" She asked quietly.

"He's fine. He met a young woman and is currently staying with them. His hammer is in a crater just south of the town he's in and is currently surrounded by American Government workforces." Heimdall looked down at her. "Stay away from there, you don't know what they're capable of."

"I'll be careful," Karina replied.

"I'm presuming you know the rules down there?" Heimdall asked. "No swords on display etc."

"Yes," Karina said and waved her hand over her sword, causing it to disappear from sight. "Anything else?"

Heimdall shook his head. "Should I be aware of anyone else joining you?"

"Possibly," Karina said as she walked over to the portal. "But I can't be certain." She hesitated for a moment and sighed. "Heimdall," she said turning around to face him, "am I doing the right thing?"

Heimdall paused for a moment, considering her answer. "As much s it pains me to say this to you…yes. Only you, and you alone know what you saw in that vision. And if it's managed to frighten you as much as it has, then you are definitely doing the right thing."

Karina nodded and smiled sadly. She heard Heimdall push the sword into the Bifrost and felt the portal suck her into it. Her sight was blinded by the bright colours of the bridge and a fierce wind whipped her hair into her face. Seconds later she felt herself land on solid ground and the bridge disappeared from view. A cloud of dust swirled around her as the light from the Bifrost faded away leaving behind its mark on the dry and cracked ground. Looking around, Karina saw she was in a large desert with the only sign of civilisation a good few miles away. Her fingers twitched for her sword if only to feel it's reassuring weight in her hand. But she kept it hidden from sight with her magic, not wanting to terrify anyone.

A gun clicked behind her.

"Ma'am, please put your hands up where we can see them." Karina froze, raising her hands in the air and slowly turning around to face whoever was standing behind her. Five black cars, twenty different men wearing suits and all were pointing their guns at her. She swallowed thickly, silently cursing herself. She'd done the one thing she'd promised Heimdall she wouldn't do. Stay away from the Government.

From one of the cars, two other men got out. One was wearing a suit and had dark sunglasses on, the other was wearing what looked to be a combat suit and was carrying a bow in one hand. They walked up to her and Karina could see the bowman's hand tightly gripped around his bow, ready to most likely shoot her should she try anything.

"Ma'am, I'm Agent Phil Coulson with SHIELD, and I believe you're trespassing on our world." He said it so calmly that Karina was certain that this was a daily occurrence for him. "I'd like to know who you are and what your intentions are on this planet."

Karina took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. She had no choice but, to tell the truth, these people had seen her arrive. She closed her eyes, opening them as she spoke. "I am Karina, daughter of Odin, Princess of Asgard and the Goddess of Fire," she said loudly. She could see some of the men tighten their grip on their guns as she spoke. "I am not here to start a war with your planet. I am here to retrieve my brother and stop a war on my planet."

"Sir," Bowman said. "She doesn't appear to be hostile. She's not carrying any weapons and it would appear that her intentions are honourable." Karina stared at Bow-man in shock and shot him a small, grateful smile when he looked at her. "But I think we would all feel better if we brought her in." Her smile vanished as soon as it appeared.

"Is that your final decision, Agent Barton?" Coulson asked. Barton. That was his name. Barton turned to face Coulson.

"Yes sir, it is," Barton replied. Coulson nodded and Karina tensed up as Barton's hand moved towards his belt.

"Bring me in where?" Karina asked. Barton looked at her intently.

"You'll find out," he replied stiffly.

It happened before Karina even had time to process what had happened. There was a gunshot. It sounded like a lightning crack as it echoed through the desert. Karina felt something hit her, hard. A yell. Then her knees gave way and she fell to the sandy ground of the desert. Her brain was just able to register someone putting something around her wrists and lifting her up, off the ground. Then whatever she'd been shot with reached her brain and darkness descended.

* * *

It felt as if she was lying down. There was a pillow underneath her head and what felt like a mattress underneath her back. Slowly, Karina opened her eyes, closing them again when the bright lights above her proved too much for her eyes to bear.

"I've turned them down, try now," a voice said from her right. She tried opening her eyes again and found the lights were indeed significantly dimmer. She turned her head to her right and saw Agent Barton sitting in a chair, a jacket was thrown over the back of the chair. Looking down, Karina saw that the handcuffs that had been placed on her earlier had disappeared.

"Are you planning on shooting me again?" She asked quietly, coughing slightly thanks to her dry and scratchy throat.

"That wasn't actually me," Barton said, handing her a cup of water. "I was happy with handcuffing you and walking you in, but one of the new recruits was a bit trigger happy." He leant forward, elbows on his knees. "You were telling the truth, weren't you?"

"What reason do I have to lie?" Karina asked as she sat up. She surveyed the room quickly. Only one door in and out and now windows.

"I'm still trying to figure that one out," Barton replied, a frown appearing on his face "How old are you?"

"In Midgardian terms or Asgardian terms?" She asked softly. A headache was beginning to form and it wasn't doing her any favours at all.

"Come again?" Barton's face was scrunched up in a frown and Karina chuckled quietly.

"In your terms, I'm eighteen years old. In my terms, I'm 1300 years old," she explained.

"Wow. So, you really are a goddess." If Barton was impressed, he didn't let it show.

Karina looked at him. "What did you think I was?"

Barton passed for a moment, thinking about his answer. "To be honest, someone who was high on drugs and had just read a Norse Mythology book."

Karina chuckled. "Well, I'd hate to ruin that allusion for anyone else. Let's just keep the fact I'm a Goddess quiet, shall we." Barton nodded and Karina relaxed ever so slightly. "Where am I?" she asked. "I'm presuming I'm at the pop-up government facility that I noticed."

Barton blinked at her in surprise. "Yeah, yeah you are. How the hell – "An alarm interrupted his next words and Karina sat up in shock at the sudden noise.

"All agents report to the control room immediately," Coulson said over the PA. Karina looked at Barton, who had thrown on his jacket and had a steely look in his eyes.

"Come with me," he said stiffly. Karina quickly followed him out of the room and down a corridor. They emerged into a room filled with computers and agents scurrying about. Lights were flashing and Karina tried to ignore the effect they had on her head as she descended the stairs after Barton.

"Agent Barton," Coulson greeted. "Get yourself over to the truck." Barton nodded and disappeared through a flap in the tent.

"What's going on?" Karina asked.

"The 0-8-4 we discovered is given off odd levels of radiation and is intervening with our technology. We've also just picked up an intruder at one of the gates," Coulson said as he walked her to a screen where a camera was following the intruder through the site. "Recognise him?"

Karina let out a gasp as the intruder turned towards the camera. Blonde hair, blue eyes. "That's a friend of mine," Karina said quietly. She turned to face Coulson. "He has no idea I'm here, I swear."

"I believe you," Coulson replied. "I think he's here for that." He pointed to another screen, this time recording, what Karina assumed to be the 0-8-4.

She stared at the screen and her eyes widened as she realised what it was. "Mjolnir," she whispered quietly. Coulson didn't hear here as his radio crackled to life.

"We need back-up," it said. Coulson looked grim as he turned to Karina.

"Come with me." His voice left no room for argument and Karina followed him quietly. The sudden drop in temperature caused Karina to shiver as the emerged outside. The rain was lashing down against the tarpaulin and lightning continuously forked across the sky. In front of them, an ATV was covered by the debris of the tunnel it had crashed into. Coulson looked even more serious than before as he eyed it.

He pulled his radio out of his pocket as he watched more agents rush over to the ATV and pull the driver free. "I want eyes up high, with a gun." Satisfied with the safety of the driver, Coulson grabbed Karina's wrist and lead her back to the command centre. As they emerged into the tunnel, Coulson pulled his radio out again. "Barton, talk to me."

'So, it was Barton who was the eyes up high,' Karina thought.

"One shot, one kill, sir. Just give the word," came his reply a few moments later. Coulson pressed his lips into a thin line, before gesturing to Karina to follow him.

"Your friend," Coulson began as they walked through the tunnels, "is he a soldier"

"Possibly," Karina replied, not wanting to give away too much. She didn't know what Thor had done and certainly didn't want to get him into trouble. "I'm sorry about the damage he's causing."

Why are you apologising for him?" Coulson asked, stopping suddenly to look her in the eye. "It isn't your fault."

"No, I know. But no one else is going to apologise, are they?" Coulson gave her a small smile as he carried on walking again. They emerged onto the up level of the base and Karina could see Thor fighting one of the agents. Behind them, more agents – armed this time – emerged. Coulson raised a hand in the air, telling them to wait, as Thor ripped open the plastic covering the tunnel and walled over to Mjolnir. He reached out his hand, hovering inches away from it.

"Barton," Coulson called over the radio. Somewhere high above them, Barton readied himself, eyes squinting in concentration. "Hold your fire." Barton relaxed, letting his bow aim down at the ground as he watched.

Karina held her breath as Thor wrapped his hand around the handle of Mjolnir. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't going to budge. And as Thor pulled, and Mjolnir stayed put, her shoulders slumped in disappointment. Coulson relaxed slightly, a disappointed air about him as he spoke into his radio.

"Ground units move in, the show's over," he called. Karina couldn't tear her eyes away as Thor fell to his knees, a broken and lonely expression on his face as the agents rushed in and handcuffed him. Karina didn't stay to watch him being hauled away, instead of following after Coulson who left her in the control room. Barton appeared shortly afterwards, soaking wet. He sat down next to her and began cleaning his arrows, neither saying a word to the other.

"That was quite a stunt your friend pulled," Barton said suddenly.

"Yes, yes it was," Karina muttered quietly. A gust of wind swept through the room and she shivered, regretting her choice of clothes immensely. Barton watched Karina intently as she stifled a yawn and rubbed her bare arms.

"Right, you're going for a nap," he said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. "Can't have you falling asleep in front of everyone." Karina, who was confused as to why he was being pleasant to her, followed behind as he led her to a door that said 'on-call room'. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, flipping the lights on. Inside was a bed, a clock and another door that Karina assumed would lead to a bathroom of sorts.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you if anything else happens," Barton told her. Karina nodded, shooting him a grateful smile as he shut the door behind him. Once she was sure he was gone, she let out a loud sigh and sat down on the side of the bed. Everything was going wrong and she had no idea how to get to Thor. Karina yawned again and decided that getting a few hours' sleep wasn't the worst idea in the entire world. She laid down on the bed, not bothering to turn the lights off, and closed her eyes hoping that when she woke up, she'd have a plan.

Bright blue, almost white, lightning forked across the sky as the Bifrost spun around. Thor and Loki fought each other within the Observatory, grunting every time a punch or kick hit their mark. Loki kicked Thor, sending him out onto the bridge. Loki smirked, advancing forward when Karina launched herself at him. Without thinking, Loki aimed his sceptre at her and fired, sending her flying. She crashed onto the bridge, rolled over onto her back, and was still. Loki stared in horror as Thor ran to her, cradling her in his arms as she –

Karina awoke with a start. Nightmare or vision, she couldn't tell. She dragged a tired hand through her hair and yawned. She had no idea how long she'd slept for, nor how long. Karina stood up as someone knocked on her door. It opened and Barton poked his head in, a smile on his face.

"You've got a visitor," he said, pointing his head in the direction of the control room. Karina stared at him in surprise but followed none the less.

"Karina," Coulson greeted when she emerged into the room a minute later. "You've got a friend who's said he's willing to bail you and Doctor Blake out of here." Karina looked on in confusion as a man, whose name she'd later learn to be Erik, walked up to her and hugged her.

"Just play along. I'm with Thor," he whispered as he pulled away. "You got yourself into some big trouble there, Karina!"

"You have very powerful friends, Dr Selvig," Coulson commented. "Including one who says she's a goddess."

Erik paused for a moment. "Well, she's helping me with a drug experiment that I'm doing on the side of my other one. The drugs sometimes make her hallucinate," he covered quickly. Karina raised her eyebrows in confusion as he spoke but kept quiet. "Now, the aftereffects of the drug will be setting in soon so if we could hurry this up a bit."

"Of course," Coulson said calmly. If the man suspected something he didn't say. Coulson nodded at an agent who quickly disappeared around the corner. "What was his name again?"

"Donald Blake," Erik replied quickly.

"Donald Blake?" Coulson queried.

"Doctor Donald Blake. He's part of our team." Selvig seemed to have the entire story planned out in detail and Karina had to admire that.

"You have dangerous co-workers, Dr Selvig," Coulson said, staring at him.

"Troubled, not dangerous. He was distraught when he found out that you'd taken all of our research. It was years of his life, gone! He got depressed, started drinking and … well, you know the rest," Selvig replied.

"Uh-huh. You mind if we take a moment to verify his identity?" Coulson asked, moving to stand behind an agent sitting at a computer.

"Certainly," Selvig said with a nod. "You can understand how a man could go off like that. I mean, a big, faceless organization like yours, coming in with their jack-booted thugs and stealing private property…" Selvig trailed off as he realised that most of the agents in the room were staring at him. "Is how he described it."

"That doesn't explain how he managed to tear through our security," Coulson reminded him.

"Steroids. He's a bit of a fitness nut," Selvig said shrugging.

Coulson hummed and turned back to the screen. "It says here he's an M.D."

"He is. That is, he was. He switched careers and became a physicist. He's quite brilliant, really." Selvig paused for a moment. "If you would just release him to me, I promise to keep an eye on him."

Coulson stared the Doctor up and down for a moment before his face broke into a wide smile. "Release Doctor Blake into Doctor Selvig's custody," Coulson ordered an agent, much to the surprise of the agent sitting behind the computer. "Make sure they stay in town for the next few days in case we need to talk to them again." Karina refused to meet Coulson's eye as he shook Selvig's hand.

An agent stepped forward and lead them to the room where Thor was currently behind held.

"Donny, Donny, Donny!" He exclaimed as he rushed into the room. Thor looked just as confused as Karina was as Selvig pulled him to his feet and gave him a hug. "It's going to be all right, my friend. Come on, I'm taking you home." Thor's eyes widened when he saw Karina, but a quick glare had him keep quiet as she stepped forward for a hug.

"I'll explain later," she whispered quietly letting go of him as Selvig lead Thor out of the room, Karina following behind. Selvig led the two out of the base and into the outside area where several tables were piled high with science equipment and what looked to be notebooks.

'Must be the stolen research Selvig was on about earlier,' Karina thought to herself as she walked past. She noticed Thor pick up a notebook off the desk and slip it under his jacket and smiled at him as he caught up with her.

"Doctor Selvig!" All three of them stopped at Coulson's shout and turned around. "Just keep them away from the bars." Karina blinked in surprise but recovered quickly, smiling as Selvig turned her around.

"I will!" He called back, leading them to a nearby SUV.

"Where are we going?" Thor asked as they got into the vehicle.

"To get a drink," Selvig replied gruffly as he put the car into drive.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I am so sorry for how long it has taken me to update. I had exams (which all went fine btw, I passed nearly all of them!) and my laptop decided to be difficult. But I've got a new laptop now so hopefully there'll be more updates!

Anyway, in this chapter we've got a fair bit of sibling love, some fighting and something else (I can't remember what)

* * *

Karina sat at the bar, in-between Selvig and Thor. She had a bottle of beer in front of her but had as yet to drink it. She didn't look up as Selvig got up to give the siblings a chance to catch up and sighed, finally taking a sip of her beer.

"You're here," Thor said quietly as he turned to look at her. "How?"

"I had a vision," Karina began, her voice cracking ever so slightly as she spoke. "Heimdall made up an excuse for me to come here."

"What happened?" Thor asked gently, placing his large hand on her shoulder. Karina looked at him in surprise, smiling slightly. Thor had changed since he'd been banished; Karina knew it was for the better too.

"Father is in Odinsleep. We have no idea when he'll wake up or even if he'll wake up so Mother made Loki King of Asgard until then." Thor's eyes widened. "I'm too young to rule by myself so it had to be Loki." Karina sighed.

"And your vision?" Thor prompted.

"The most powerful one I have ever had. All it showed me was the destruction and ruin Loki's reign will cause. Thor," she said looking at him for the first time. "I'm almost certain he's the one who let the Frost Giants into Asgard. Father lied to him all these years about who he truly is. Loki is a Frost Giant that Father found after the battle between him and their King. He took him in hopes of forging an alliance between us and them, but that's all forgotten now. But Loki was furious and extremely upset, the weight of what he told Loki sent Father into Odinsleep and – "

"Karina," Thor said taking her hand in his. "Stop." Karina looked up at him, tired eyes filling with tears. "Loki came to see me whilst I was imprisoned. He said that Father's dead."

"What?" Karina breathed. "He wasn't when I left. He was fine, I mean." Karina paused. "This was in my vision," she whispered.

"What?" Thor asked, slightly confused.

"This whole scenario was in my vision, albeit briefly. Loki is lying Thor. He doesn't want you back on Asgard because you'll become King and ruing everything for him!"

"Ria," Thor began. "I don't think Loki's even capable of that. He loves you too much to try anything that could endanger you." Karina's shoulders deflated as he spoke.

"Even if he was lied to his entire life?"

"Even that wouldn't turn him against us," Thor said confidently. "What he said must really be true. And if so, then I am to remain in exile." Thor's voiced quietened as he spoke and Karina squeezed his hand.

"What's done is done," she told him quietly. "What's important is that you're trying to change your ways." She smiled. "I'm not leaving you Thor, not until we figure out what's happening for certain. At the moment it's all rumours and speculation. We need hard facts."

Thor chuckled. "You sound very similar to a new friend of mine," he said fondly. "Her name's Jane and she's a scientist, whatever that is, and she's brilliant."

"You sound smitten," Karina noted with a smirk as she took another sip of her beer.

"She's made me a better person."

"Thor," Karina began quietly. "My magic…"

"What about it?" He asked gently.

"It keeps flickering. Like, I can sense it one minute and the next I can't."

"That's not possible," Thor breathed.

"I know, I know. But my magic is connected to Asgard. When Asgard's in peril, so is my magic. Why I don't know, but it means we have to be extra careful."

"And we will be," Thor reassured her. "I made a promise the day you were born to protect you with my life. I know I haven't honoured it properly over the past hundred years, but I promise you now, I will protect you, no matter what happens."

Karina smiled softly and leant her head against Thor's shoulder. As the conversation between the two ended, Selvig appeared from wherever he'd disappeared to.

"It would appear," he said as he sat down at the bar, "that Darcy's a terrible intern, but a talented hacker."

"Thank you for what you've done," Thor replied. "For both of us. Erik this is my little sister, Karina."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Karina said with a smile shaking Selvig's hand. "And thank you, again."

"Don't thank me. I only did it for Jane," Selvig replied.

"Are you in love with her?" Thor asked. Selvig let out a chuckle at his question.

"Of course not!" Selvig exclaimed. "Jane's like a daughter to me. Her father and I taught at University together. A good man, but he never listened." Selvig trailed off.

"Neither did I," Thor replied quietly.

Selvig looked at him, intrigue in his eyes. "I don't know if you're really delusional," he began, "and I really don't care at this point. I just care about her. I've seen the way she looks at you."

"I swear to you, I mean her no harm," Thor reassured him.

"He's a man of his word, Erik," Karina said, tipping her beer to him. "You can trust him."

"Good. If that's the case, then I'll buy you both one more drink, and then you'll leave town tonight," Erik ordered. Karina looked down sadly but nodded. Thor did too, picking up his drink and taking a long sip.

"I had it all backwards. I had it all wrong," Thor said suddenly. Karina looked at him, a small smile on her face as she realised just how different Thor had become.

"It's not a bad thing, finding out you don't have all the answers. That's when you start asking the right questions," Erik told him gently.

"For the first time in my life, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do," Thor admitted quietly.

"Anyone who's ever going to find their way in this world has to start by admitting they don't know where the hell they are," Erik replied. Karina chuckled at his words, shooting the man a smile.

"Hey," a voice from behind them suddenly called. Karina turned around and an extremely drunk man stumbled towards them, sizing up Thor as he came closer. "I know you, man." He stopped just in front of them and Karina could see he was looking for a fight. "You were in the diner with that hot girl." Karina saw Thor tense up out the corner of her eye and hoped he wouldn't start a fight. "I wouldn't mind her doing a little research on me," the man carried on with a laugh.

"I have no quarrel with you. But she's a lady. You should be more respectful," Thor replied.

"And you should shut the hell up, princess." Karina tensed up, looking to Thor. Surprisingly, Thor seemed unaffected at being called a princess and Karina allowed herself a smile. He really had changed.

"And who do we have here?" Karina's head shot up as the drunk man came swaying over to her. "She's even more stunning than the diner girl." The drunk man placed an extremely large and meaty hand on Karina's shoulder, causing her to flinch slightly. It began wandering its way down and Karina froze.

"Take your hands off of me," she said calmly, eyes on his hand.

"I'm just getting to know ya! No need to be so tetchy," the man replied.

"You heard her," Thor said, standing up. "Take your hands off my sister."

"What you going to do? Fight me?" The man was baiting Thor into a fight and Karina could see Thor getting increasingly annoyed at the fact that the man's hand was still on her shoulder.

"I will not fight him," Thor said suddenly, clenching his fists tightly. Karina's eyes widened in surprise at his words as he backed down. Thor didn't sit down, though. He stayed standing, taking a step closer to Karina.

"Then it'll be easy to kick your ass," the drunk man replied, his words slurring into one. Suddenly, Selvig stood up, standing inbetween Thor and the drunk man.

"Gentlemen, please," he began, taking the man's hand and removing it from Karina's arm. Karina let out a loose breath, closing her eyes in relief. "Let's keep our heads." Karina let out a shocked gasp as Selvig headbutted the man, knocking him out completely. The man fell to the floor with a loud thump as Selvig picked up his drink, swallowing it in one; throwing it to the floor with a loud yell. Karina watched on impressed.

"Another drink?" Selvig asked them both. Thor nodded but Karina stood up, shaking her head.

"If you two are going to get drunk, I'm going to leave," she said, pushing her stool in. She paused for a moment. "I don't suppose Jane would mind if I – "

"Not at all," Selvig replied interrupting her. "Just take a left out of the bar and follow the road to the edge of town, the van shouldn't be too hard to find."

Karina nodded, "Thank you." She gave Thor a wink and stepped over the leg of the unconscious drunk man on the floor.]

The cold air of the desert hit Karina's bare arms hard. She sighed, crossing her arms to try and keep some resemblance of warmth inside her as she followed Selvig's directions to Jane's trailer. Karina paused for a moment on the edge of town, looking up into the sky. Nearly all the constellations were visible in the sky, and Karina took a moment to name them. The reality of how far from home she was suddenly hit her like an axe. Her eyes burned for a moment as she thought about Loki and her mother. But she was with Thor. A different Thor to before, one who actually looked out for her and cared for her. A Thor, who, had yet, to turn psychopathic on her and attempt to take over Asgard.

Letting out a loud sigh, Karina carried on walking towards Jane's trailer, following the dirt path lit up by the moon in the sky. As the trailer loomed before her, Karina halted. How the hell was she meant to introduce herself? Did she just go: hi, I'm Karina, your apparent boyfriend's younger sister who is also a goddess? Or did she just stick with simple? She breathed in deeply, slowly letting the breath out as she raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Coming!" A voice yelled from within. The door swung open a minute later and a small, brown-haired woman appeared. Her face morphed into confusion as she stared at Karina. "You're not Erik or Thor," she stated simply.

"No, but I am Thor's sister," Karina said.

"Oh!" Jane exclaimed loudly. "Karina? Yeah, Thor's talked a lot about you."

"He has?" Karina asked quietly. "Anyway, not the point. Erik said I could come here."

"Oh, yes, of course, you can," Jane said, open the door even wider to allow Karina in. "Where is Erik?"

"Presumably getting drunk in a bar with Thor, which," Karina said as she walked into the trailer "is never a good idea. He's an excellent drinker."

"Poor Erik," Jane sympathised as she closed the door. "I'm sorry it's a bit of a state in here. I haven't really had time to tidy anything up probably," she said as she began picking up random pizza boxes.

"Jane, it's fine," Karina told her, placing a hand on hers. "I really don't care."

"Oh," Jane said sounding surprised. "You look a mess – sorry, that was really mean."

"No, it's fine," Karina laughed. "I know I look awful. I haven't really got any other clothes to wear…" she trailed off awkwardly.

"You can borrow some of mine," Jane said brightly. Karina gave her a smile in return as the woman went over to a drawer and pulled out a pair of dark blue, ripped jeans, a dark green sweater and a pair of black heeled boots. "I'm assuming we're near enough the same size."

"These are perfect, thank you!" Karina breathed, taking the clothes from her. She wasn't about to admit to the fact that she had magic and could change her clothes with a snap of her fingers, she didn't want to freak Jane out.

"There's a bathroom through there," Jane said, pointing to a small door. Karina gave her a smile as she disappeared into the bathroom. Once the door was shut, she leant against it, closing her eyes. She ran a hand over her face, yanking out the hairband that was in her hair. Karina walked over to the sink and began brushing her hair with a brush that was sitting on the side. She winced as she reached a particularly harsh knot, pulling it loose with her fingers. She scooped her hair up into a ponytail, tightening it once it was in place.

Karina then began to unbutton her blouse, throwing it on the floor, muttering an 'oops' when she saw just how dirty it was. She pulled the dark green jumper over her head, using her magic to make it slightly bigger (jane was only slightly smaller than Karina) and pulled it down over her stomach. She then dropped her skirt and slid her legs into the jeans Jane had given her. She tucked the jumper into the jeans, pulling it out slightly, before pulling on the black boots Jane had lent her. Overall, it wasn't a terrible outfit and it was extremely warm.

Karina stared at the bathroom sink, trying to figure out what way the tap turned. She turned it to the left and a gush of hot water came cascading out. She squirted some soap onto her hand and washed them thoroughly under the water, relishing the warmth that came with it.

Karina opened the door just as a knock sounded on the trailer door. She looked over at Jane who shrugged and scrambled off the bed to open it. Karina followed behind and her eyes widened in shock when she saw Thor carrying Selvig over his shoulder.

"What did you do?" She asked as Thor carried him in.

"We had a drinking contest," he said, accidentally smacking Selvig on the head as he went. "Sorry, my friend."

"Well that explains it," Karina sighed as she moved out of their way.

"What happened?" Jane asked as Selvig groaned.

"We drank. We fought. He made his ancestors proud," Thor exclaimed as Jane helped him lay Selvig down on the bed as Karina shut the door behind them.

Selvig looked up at Thor through tired eyes as he curled up. "I still don't believe you're the God of Thunder," he mumbled. "But you ought to be." Thor smiled, patting him on the cheek as he fell asleep. Thor pulled the blanket that was on the sofa and draped it over Erik gently. Karina watched with a soft smile, still surprised at how much he'd changed.

"These are your chambers?" Thor asked, looking around.

Jane blushed suddenly as she hastily picked up a random pizza box. "Well, it's more of temporary living space, really. I don't usually have visitors in ere. Actually, never…" she trailed off as Thor picked up a random sock. Jane snatched it off him and Karina sniggered as she shoved it in a drawer.

"Can we go outside?" Jane asked. Thor nodded and began walking to the door.

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on Erik," Karina said, giving Jane a knowing look. The scientist mouthed a thank you as she followed Thor outside. Karina sighed, looking around her at the mess that was Jane's chambers. The only clear spot was the sofa and Karina flopped down onto it, too tired to care. She pulled the sleeves of her jumper over her hands and drifted off to sleep, not knowing that Loki was standing in front of her, watching her every move.

* * *

Sif, Fandral and Hogun watched as Volstagg shoved a whole piece of ham into his mouth. His fingers were greasy with food and the platter of food that sat before them was still full. Sif watched on, hovering on one foot nervously as she watched.

"Our dearest friend banished, Loki on the throne, Asgard on the brink of war, Karina missing, yet you manage to consume four wild boar, six pheasants, a side of beef and two casks of ale. Shame on you. Don't you care?!" Fandral exclaimed, grabbing the platter and moving towards the fire. Volstagg let out a low growl, standing up and drawing his weapon.

"Do not mistake my appetite for apathy," Volstagg growled.

"Enough! Both of you!" Sif exclaimed loudly. "We all know what we have to do, we're just too damned afraid to do it!"

"We must go. We must find Thor," Hogun grunted. He walked over to the fire and pulled five healing stones from the hearth, placing them in a pouch at his side.

"It's treason, Hogun," Fandral reminded. "Treason that Karina was all too ready to commit," he said quietly. Though, not that quietly.

"What?" Volstagg whispered.

"You said she was missing," Sif said slowly.

"She made me promised not to tell anyone," Fandral exclaimed quickly.

"Where is she?" Hogun growled, turning to face him.

"She's, uh."

"Fandral…" Sif said lowly, walking towards him.

"Midgard!" Fandral exclaimed loudly. "She's on Midgard."

"WHAT?" Volstagg bellowed. "You let her go there, alone?"

"I didn't really have much choice to be perfectly honest. You know what she's like once her mind is made up."

"Stubborn is what she is," Hogun answered.

"She went to find Thor, didn't she?" Sif asked. Fandral nodded and they let out a groan. "Of course, she did. Did Heimdall know?"

"Heimdall is the one covering for her," Fandral answered.

"She hasn't just committed treason, she's also committed suicide by going there!" Volstagg cried. "And so, will we if we go. Now, shh! Heimdall may be watching! It's said he can hear – "

"Yes, yes, we know!" Fandral exclaimed impatiently.

"They'd both do the same for us," Sif said quietly. There was a general murmur of agreement as a knock on the door resounded. A guard walked in and stopped in front of them.

"Heimdall demands your presence," he said before walking off.

"We're doomed," Volstagg gulped.

* * *

Sunlight drifted through the windows of the trailer as Karina woke the next morning. Someone had pulled a blanket over her during the night and Karina wrapped it around her shoulders as she stood up. As she opened the trailer door, the cold morning air hit her and she pulled it even together around the roof, she could see Thor and Jane sleeping next to each other, the latter curled up into her brother. She smiled and climbed up the stairs to the roof.

Thor looked up as she clambered onto the roof. "Hey," he whispered quietly, shifting slightly so that she could sit next to him.

"Hey," Karina whispered back as she sat down. Silence fell for a while and Karina sighed, resting her head on Thor's shoulder as they watched the sun rise into the sky.

"What's the matter?" He asked quietly, looking at her in concern.

Karina paused, trying to find the right words. "Everything's changing. You've changed – for the better," she added quickly, "Loki's changed, everything we thought we knew isn't true and I don't know where I stand in all this. I feel like I don't even know wo I am anymore."

Thor nodded as he put an arm around Karina's shoulders. "You," he began, "are my sister. The one person who still believed in me after all this. I know we've never been close in the past, but I want to change that." Karina smiled as swallowed down on the lump in her throat. "I love you Karina, I'm so glad you're my sister." Thor pressed a kiss into her forehead and Karina smiled as she whipped away her tears.

"I love you too," she whispered, nestling into his shoulder. There was a moan from Thor's right as Jane finally woke up.

"Oh, hey, Karina," Jane said sleepily as she sat up. Karina chuckled lightly as Jane yawned, stretching her arms above her head. Thor watched Jane with a fond smile as she rubbed her eyes and it was then that Karina realised something. Thor loved Jane back.

Thor raised a hand to help Karina climb off the ladder as the door to the trailer opened. Selvig stumbled out, clearly hungover, and groaned as the light hit his eyes.

"I need coffee," he grumbled. He began walking inside the Motor store and Karina followed behind, watching as Thor put a protective arm around Jane.

"Hey, Erik," a black-haired woman said as they walked inside. "Where's Jane and Thor?"

"Outside," Erik replied as he walked over to the coffee machine. "Uh, Darcey, this is Karina, Thor's sister."

"Hi," Karina said, smiling at Darcey.

"S'up," Darcey acknowledge, sipping her coffee. "Want some coffee?"

"What's coffee?" Karina asked as she sat down at the table where breakfast ad been laid out

"Only the best drink in the world," Darcey replied, pouring Karina a cup. "Try it."

Karina picked up the mug and looked at it. She watched as Erik took a large sip of his own and decided that it wasn't going to kill her instantly. Karina took a small sip, paused, and the took another sip.

"She likes it," Darcey said as Karina placed her half full empty mug back onto the table.

"It's good," Karina replied. Thor and Jane walked in as Karina got up to make herself another cup of coffee. Both stopped in the doorway as they watched Darcey showed her how to use the machine.

"What is happening?" Jane asked as Darcey turned around.

"Karina likes coffee," Darcey replied as the girl in question sat down again. "Now, I want eggs."

Karina smiled at Jane as she put some eggs and sausage on her plate. She was starving and Jane's cooking was surprisingly very good.

"Thanks," Darcey said as Tor handed her a plate of eggs.

"You're very welcome," Thor replied with a smile. Karina froze and looked up at the two sitting in front of her.

"What just happened?" She asked. Thor chuckled, ruffling her hair as he sat down next to her.

"I'm just being polite," Thor replied, cutting into his eggs.

"I know, it's weird," Karina said, picking up her mug.

"So," Darcey began, looking between them. "Brother and sister."

"Don't even get me started," Thor chuckled.

"What is that meant to mean?!" Karina exclaimed. Thor laughed again, shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth as they all laughed, completely oblivious to the two agents watching them from the library.

Karina stood in-between Thor and Jane, drying up a mug, when an annoyingly familiar feeling crept over her. She carried on drying the dishes, picking a new one up from the sink, when the view of the motor show room morphed into Jotunheim.

 _Karina watched as Loki and Laufey conversed, too far away to hear their words. Suddenly, Loki turned around, a smirk on his face, as he strolled back to the Bifrost landing site. Laufey watched him leave and Karina felt herself being pulled away from the planet. Loki had betrayed them._

The mug fell out of Karina's hands and landed on the floor with a smash as she was pulled back from her vision. Her knees gave way beneath her, but Thor grabbed onto her before she could fall to the floor.

"Karina, what is it?" He asked urgently, both arms wrapped around her waist, supporting his sister as she shook.

"Vision," she whispered, nails digging into Thor's hand as she tried to calm down. "Loki did send the Frost Giants to Asgard. He's made another deal with them, what it is I don't know." She felt Thor tense behind her as she spoke and knew that he was just as pissed off as she was. As Karina felt her knees become more stable, she stopped leaning on Thor and stood up, looking down at the broken mug. "I'm sorry about the mug- "

"Nonsense," Selvig told her as he walked up with a broom. "As long as you're alright?"

Karina nodded. "I'm fine," she said. As Selvig emptied the broken mug into the bin, there was furious knocking at the windows surrounding the moto room. Karina turned around and stared in shock at Fandral, Sif, Volstagg and Hogun all standing outside, smiling. Karina vaguely heard Jane drop her plate as Thor rushed over to the door.

"My friends!" He exclaimed, hugging them all.

"I don't believe it…" Selvig said quietly.

"How the hell," Karina whispered as she stared at them in shock.

"Who are they?" Darcey asked. This caught the attention of Volstagg who turned to face the four of them.

"lady Sif and the Warriors Three," he said pointing to each in turn. "Surely, you've heard tale of Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and I, Volstagg the Svelte?" Selvig gave Volstagg a pointed look. "Well, perhaps I've put on a little more muscle since I was here last," he added, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Karina!" He exclaimed as he noticed her standing next to Selvig. Volstagg rushed forward and swept Karina up into his arms.

"Uh, okay," Karina exclaimed as Volstagg spun her around. He put her down and he was immediately replaced with Sif who wrapped Karina in a bone crushing hug. "Oh, wow, I'm assuming I was missed?"

"Going back to the earlier point of conversation," Jane said suddenly. "You being on Earth would have been a thousand years ago! Northern Europe?" Jane asked excitedly.

"Exactly! Those lovely herring people. They worshipped us!" Volstagg exclaimed.

Thor walked over, a giant grin on his face. He put a hand on Volstagg's shoulder and sighed. "My friends, I've never been happier to see anyone. But you should not have come," he said sadly.

"We're here to take you both home," Fandral explained, smiling still.

"You know we can't. My father is dead because of me. I must remain in exile and Karina cannot go back because she'd be executed for committing treason," Thor replied, putting a protective arm around his sister.

"Thor, Karina…" Sif began slowly, "your father still lives." Karina stared at the woman in shock.

"What?" Thor breathed. "How?"

"Loki," Karina answered. She looked up and saw the others share an extremely confused look. "He let the Frost Giants into Asgard and lied to Thor so that he wouldn't come back and ruin his plans."

"He what?" Fandral growled. Before he could go any further a loud crack of thunder rolled across the sky. All nine of them turned to look into the distance where another Bifrost storm began forming.

"Was somebody else coming?" Darcey asked meekly as they all stared in horror. As they watched, explosions and fire began appearing from the Bifrost landing site.

"The Destroyer," Sif gasped.

"Loki," Karina realised with a sigh. Thor let out a low growl and rushed outside, Karina and the others following behind them. All around them, oblivious and innocent townsfolk appeared in the streets, wondering what on earth was happening.

Thor turned to Jane, a hand on her shoulder. "Leave this town now. Get yourself and your friends to safety," he ordered as the other Asgardians around him began preparing for battle. Karina watched as yet another explosion echoed from the landing site. She knew exactly who was up there fighting and hoped to god they were safe.

"What about you and Karina?" jane asked, her voice evidently concerned.

"I must stay and fight," Thor said. Karina looked at him in shock. "I'm still a warrior, and I will fight by your side."

"You're but a mortal now. You'll get yourself killed!" Volstagg exclaimed.

"Or one of us, trying to protect you," Fandral added.

"The best thing you can do is get the mortals to safety and leave the battle to us," Sif said.

"They're right Thor," Karina whispered gently.

"You're right," Thor said, looking at Karina as he spoke. "But you're staying with me," he added pointing at her. "We both know that your magic isn't as strong as it should be."

"I'm not planning on leaving your side," Karina told him. Her magic was connected to Asgard in ways Karina doubted she'd ever understand. If the planet was in peril then so was her magic. Thor smiled, worry in his eyes. He turned to Jane, Selvig and Darcey, "Help me clear the streets. I'll let none of these people dies this day," he ordered. The five of them rushed off to help clear the streets whilst the Asgardians rushed off in the opposite direction to try and stop the Destroyer.

Karina could hear the Destroyer making its way into the town, glass shattering as it exploded shop fronts. She looked over her shoulder, down the street, as she helped a young mother and her son into the truck, and saw it marching towards the Warrior's Three. She watched in horror as Volstagg launched himself at the Destroyer, only for it to bat him away into the bonnet of an abandoned car nearby. Vaguely, Karina felt Thor and Jane pulling her away, but she could only stare as Sif launched herself at the Destroyer, stabbing it through the chest with her spear.

As the five of them hid behind a wall, Karina let out a sigh of relief as the Destroyer bent over. But the relief was short lived as it began glowing again, turning its entire body the opposite way around. Karina saw Fandral and Hogun rush over to Volstagg and pull him off the car as the Destroyer's head finished turning around and sent a blast to Sif who barely jumped out of the way in time. It pulled itself off Sif's spear as Sif and the Warrior's Three fell back to where Karina and Thor were standing.

Suddenly, the Destroyer sent out another blast of fire, sending Sif flying through the air and onto a car as the beam sliced through several houses and power lines. As Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg rushed over to her, the Destroyer let out another beam sending the three of them crashing into a café nearby.

"Go. Now. Run!" Thor exclaimed, ushering Darcey, Jane and Selvig away. Karina followed behind them as the Destroyer fired another blast at the café, exploding the windows and causing the glass to fire at the five of them. Karina threw up a shield around the five of them, glass rebounding as soon as it hit it. Jane, Darcey and Selvig stared at her in shock as the purple shield fell down as dust swirled around them in the breeze.

Karina stared down at her hands as they shook from exertion. Thor came up behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Karina gave him a smile, squeezing the hand on her shoulder as she looked down the street for their friends. Karina let out a soft gasp as she saw Sif lying on the ground behind a car, wincing as she tried to sit up.

"Sif!" Karina cried as she ran over to her friend. Her legs felt weak as she ran towards her fallen friend and she stumbled over a rock, barley stopping herself from falling. Karina looked behind her as she reached Sif and saw Thor running after them. He pushed the two women behind the car as the Destroyer let out another blast.

"Go, while you can!" He exclaimed as he reached them.

"But the others," Sif groaned as she struggled to sit up.

"You can't help them now. Your job is to survive," Thor told her gently, placing a hand on her neck.

"Sif, please," Karina whispered. "This is our fight, not yours."

"No! I will die a warrior's death. Stories will be told of this day- "She stopped as Thor gently took her shield from her.

"Live and tell those stories yourself," he said. Sif closed her eyes and sighed, stumbling to her feet. Karina watched as she ushered Jane and the others away from the fight and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Fandral and Hogun carrying a dazed Volstagg between them.

Karina stood up and turned to face Thor. "You're going to face him, aren't you?" She asked quietly as she stared at her brother.

"There is no other way," Thor replied sadly. "You were right, Karina. Loki is lost to us."

"Maybe he is, maybe he's not," she said. "You do realise you'll most likely be killed. He despises us."

"He despises me. Not you. Facing him is a risk I'll have to take." He turned to her suddenly, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. "Whatever happens, Karina, promise me you'll keep fighting."

"I promise," Karina replied, placing her hand over his. "I love you." It was said so quietly, Karina was certain he'd missed it.

"I love you too," Thor said with a smile. "Now go." Karina squeezed his hand once more as she took off towards where the group had gathered in front of the Motor store. Sif reached a hand out for Karina as she stopped next to them, a hand where her wound had been. Karina watched as Thor dropped Sif's shield onto the floor and began walking towards the Destroyer.

"What's he doing?" Jane asked quietly. Karina didn't answer, her mind entirely focused on Thor.

"Brother…for whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever I have done to lead you to do this, I am sorry," Thor said quietly as he walked closer to the Destroyer. "But these people have done nothing to you. They are innocents." Thor stopped just in front of the Destroyer. "As is Karina. Whatever your quarrel is, it is with me, not Karina." He took a deep breath in, glancing over his shoulder at Karina. "So, take my life and end this." The Destroyer hesitated for a moment and turned away. Thor gave the machine a small smile, one that disappeared as soon as it had appeared, and braced himself. The Destroyer turned around and backhanded Thor, sending the defenceless God flying across the street.

"No!" Jane cried, running towards Thor as he came to a sudden halt on his back. Karina could only watch on in shock, her brain trying to comprehend the fact that Loki ad killed his own brother. Her eyes burned as she tried to hold back the tears and she furiously wiped the escapees away. A loud crack of thunder shot across the sky as grey clouds began rolling in over the SHIELD base in the distance. Karina's eyes widened as she saw a small, hammer sized object hurtling towards them.

"Jane!" Karina yelled, running over to the young woman as Mjolnir got rapidly closer to them. "We have to go." Karina pulled Jane to her feet, ignoring her protests, and barely managed to get enough distance between them and Thor when Thor's hand shot up, grasping on to Mjolnir.

Lightning crackled all around them as Thor and his beloved weapon were finally reunited. Karina's face turned from one of sorrow to one of happiness as the lightning parted slightly to reveal Thor, very much alive, dressed in his armour. Karina felt a rush of magic wash over her as her brother shot up into the air and began swinging his hammer around to create a tornado. She looked down at her hands and saw them sparking with purple light. With a slight wave of her hand, Karina transformed into her armour, hair braided back and swords glinting in the sunshine.

The fight between Thor and the Destroyer continued above, explosions lighting up the tornado every so often as Thor blocked the Destroyer's beam with his hammer. Karina watched as Thor reflected a fiery beam, straight back into the Destroyer, causing the metal on its heads to bend and cave in. The now lifeless Destroyer fell to the ground with a large thump and Thor walked out of the cloud, hammer in hand, with a smirk on his face.

"So, that's how your normally look?" Jane asked as she eyed Thor's new outfit.

"More or less," Thor replied with a smile.

Jane nodded, "it's a good look." Karina chuckled, a large smile on her face. A smile that fell as she saw Coulson approach them, a large group of agents standing behind him. Karina tensed up slightly, moving ever so slightly in front of Thor as Coulson stopped in front of them.

"Donald," he began, "I don't think you've been entirely honest with us."

Thor put his hand on Karina's arm as he walked up to Coulson. She relaxed a little bit knowing her brother had it in hand. "Know this, Son of Coul. You and I, we fight for the same cause, the protection of this world," Thor replied. "Let us save it."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: A slightly shorter chapter today as we're wrapping up Thor before moving on to Avengers! *confetti*

* * *

Karina was the first one out of the car when they arrived at the Bifrost sight, jumping out before it'd even stopped moving. Her heart was pounding as she stood at the edge of the landing spot; her senses going haywire as she looked up at the sky. A dark cloud was swirling over head and thunder cracked across the sky.

"Something's wrong," she called out as the others joined her side. "I can feel it."

Thor glanced over at her worriedly as he too looked up at the sky. "Heimdall!"

Nothing. A gust of window blew through the site as the sun disappeared behind the clouds, chilling the desert. Karina looked behind her at Jane, shooting the woman a small smile as Thor continued to call for Heimdall. Jane returned her smile as thunder cracked across the sky and the Bifrost shot down from the sky. Karina watched as Thor said goodbye to Jane: a too brief goodbye. Karina shot her brother a smile of sympathy and he grasped her hand as they stepped into the Bifrost.

Bright lights filled her vision as they went through the Bifrost. Wind stung her cheeks and Karina could barely catch her breath. Within seconds they arrived back on Asgard.

To complete chaos.

Heimdall was slumped over the steps of the observatory and ice was begun to coat the entire room. Karina shivered, feeling the cold seeping into her bones as she stood still.

"Get him to the healing room," Thor yelled as he ran towards the bridge, "leave my brother to me." He swung his hammer and took off.

"Thor!" Karina yelled after him, watching as he grew smaller. She growled in frustration and turned to the others. "Go, I'll stay here and protect the Bifrost."

"Are you sure?" Volstagg asked as he helped Fandral pull Heimdall to his feet.

"Just go!" Karina yelled. They didn't wait any longer and took off towards the palace. Sif glanced behind her worriedly as Karina stood in front of the Observatory entrance, sword in hand. The ice continued to creep around the Observatory and Karina could feel a chill overcoming the room.

Karina didn't have to wait long for something to happen. Minutes after Thor had left there was an explosion from the palace and Karina could see Thor flying through the air only to crash land in the courtyard. Karina readied herself as she heard hoofbeats fro the start of the bridge and moments later, Loki appeared at the entrance to the observatory, a mad glint in his eyes as he stared at his sister.

"Step aside, Karina. I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly, breathing heavily from his ride.

"No." Her voice came out significantly stronger than Karina felt as she raised her sword. "I won't let you do this, Loki."

"Why ever not? The Frost Giants have been nothing but a pain and a hindrance in our lives. They have torn this family apart; ruined everything – "

"No, Loki. That was you." Loki stared at her. "Don't pretend to be innocent in this, we both know why this has happened," Karina said waving a hand around. "Yes, you were lied to for all your life. But so was I."

It had hurt. Knowing that Loki wasn't truly her brother by blood. But he was still her brother despite the new revelations. It was evident now that Loki didn't feel the same way, that by being a Frost Giant he wasn't their brother. Karina could feel his pain and was still trying to come to terms with it herself, she was struggling to keep up with everything that was happening right now.

"You don't know what it's like to be a monster," Loki spat.

"No, you're right. I don't. But I do know how it feels to discover that your brother isn't actually your brother. That you've been lied to all this time by your father. But you being you doesn't change a thing." Karina sighed, "I don't want to fight you, Loki. But if you continue with this, I will."

For just a second, Loki hesitated. Karina could see the pain in his eyes at the prospect of having to fight his sister, but the pain was soon consumed by anger. He aimed his sceptre at her and fired. Karina barely moved out of the way in time, the blast scraping her shoulder as she dived into the Observatory wall. Her head smacked hard against the wall and she fell limp to the floor. Karina could just about see Loki walk up to the controls of the Bifrost and launch it directly into Jotunheim. The walls began to spin around, getting faster and faster as the Bifrost was left open.

Karina groaned as she attempted to stand up, vision spotted with black spots and bright light. As she fell against the wall, only just standing up, she vaguely heard a 'thump' as Thor arrived at the Obsevatory. He must have ran straight over to her because seconds later she felt him put an arm around her waist, supporting nearly all of her weight as she struggled to get her bearings.

"All these years and no one's ever dared to use it as a weapon," Loki laughed. Karina squeezed Thor's hand as she finally felt strong enough to stand on her own. He looked down at her and she nodded, sword magically appearing in her hand. Thor ran up the stairs, raising his hammer to smash the ice that covered the sword. As he brought the hammer down, Loki fired his sceptre, hitting the ice directly in front of Thor. The God web flying onto the floor, skidding along. Loki calmly walked down the stairs as Karina forced her head to focus on her brother. Her sword met the sceptre and the two siblings stared at each other as they fought the other off.

"You can't stop it," Loki said as he pushed Karina away, "The Bifrost will build until it rips Jotunheim apart."

"Why have you done this?" Thor asked as he stumbled to his feet. Karina stood behind her brother, panting hard as she used all her energy to just stand.

"To do what father never could. To destroy their kind forever. When he awakens, he'll see the wisdom of what I've done," Loki replied, anger evident in his force.

"He won't! You can't kill an entire race!" Thor cried. Karina kept quiet, she knew the real reason why Loki was doing this. He simply wanted to make Odin proud for once, to feel like an Odinson.

"What is this new found love for the Frost Giants? You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands -"

"I've changed," Thor replied. Karina smiled at when Thor glanced behind brefily.

"So have I." Loki swung at Thor with his spear and Thor grunted as it hit him in the face. "Fight me."

Loki swung his sceptre at Thor, only for Thor to catch it in his hand. With his other hand, Thor reared back his hammer, as if to attack Loki with it. But instead, he flew straight past his brother and towards the controls. As Loki spun around to face Thor, Karina ran up the stairs, only to fall down them seconds later when Loki shot his sceptre at her. Not only did the blast hit Karina, but it also hit Thor, suspending him in mid-air.

"Is the throne really worth what you've done? What you would become?" Thor asked as he looked down at Karina as she pushed herself up onto her knees.

"I never wanted the throne. I only wanted to be your equal," Loki replied menacingly. "Now fight me!"

With a swing of his sceptre, Thor went crashing to the ground. Karina was the first to stand, stumbling slightly as her head span from its earlier collision with the wall.

"You're my equal, Loki," Karina began, breathing hard, "does that mean nothing to you? All these years I looked up to you, aspired to be like you. You were never inferior to me, Loki. Never." Karina threw her sword on the ground, the metal clanging against the floor. "I'm not going to fight you, brother."

"Neither am I," Thor added, standing side by side with his sister.

"I am not your brother. I never was," Loki replied.

"Family doesn't have to end in blood!" Karina yelled. "Just because you're not related doesn't mean your anything less than my brother. I don't care if you're a Frost Giant, because, for me, it changes nothing." Loki stared at Karina, eyes wide, for a long time. Maybe she did have a point. It wasn't until Thor began to speak that he snapped back to reality.

"Loki, this is madness," Thor said.

"Is it?" Loki grinned manically and fired his sceptre at the two siblings. Thor pushed Karina out of the way, dodging the shot and rolling to his feet in a matter of seconds. Karina skidded on her knees, picking up her fallen sword as she looked up at Loki.

"What happened on Earth that turned you so soft? Karina's always been that way. Don't tell me it was that woman," Loki asked. Thor didn't answer, instead looking down at the ground. Loki let out a low laugh as he realised he was right. "It was. Perhaps when we're finished here I'll pay her a little visit myself."

Loki had pushed and now he'd gotten the reaction he wanted. From both his brother and sister. Loki grinned as Thor and Karina both ran towards him. All three weapons collide and a huge bang echoed around the room. Karina and Thor had no choice but to defend themselves as Loki released years of hidden and pent up anger and jealousy. He was jealous of Thor being the favourite and having all the friends. He was jealous of Karina being loved and cared for.

Loki would never admit it, but he didn't want to hurt Karina. He knew that his actions had annoyed her; he knew she didn't approve. But she had always been there for him and he knew that despite him not being her brother, she wouldn't ever treat him any different. But he still attacked the both of them, the rage and pain of the moment consuming him until he could barely think.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he fired his sceptre at Thor, sending him flying across the floor and causing Mjolnir to fall from his hand. The hammer got caught in the Bifrost and despite Thor raising his hand and trying to summon it back, it disappeared into the maelstrom. Thor felt himself sliding towards it as well, the increasing power of the Bifrost proving to much to resist.

Karina felt her body sliding across the floor and she tried to grip onto the floor but there was nothing to hold on to.

"If you care so much for the Jotuns, then die with them," Loki growled, despite his worried glance towards Karina as she slid further and further towards the opening. Just as Thor was about to be sucked into the vortex, Mjolnir emerged, dragging Thor free. The God grabbed hold of Karina's arm and pulled her away from the vortex too as Loki fired yet another blast at the two of them. As Loki chased after Thor, the three siblings crashed through the roof of the observatory, crashing onto the rainbow bridge. Karina rolled over and came to a stop, eyes shut as she tried to stop her head from spinning.

Thor stood up, stumbling slightly as he struggled to stay upright. He looked over at Karina in concern and began making his way to her when he spotted Loki hanging onto the edge of the bridge, his fingers beginning to slip.

"Thor! Help me!" Loki pleaded. Thor walked up to the edge of the bridge and looked down at his brother. "Please."

Thor knelt down on the edge of the bridge and extended his hand to grab Loki's wrist, but his hand passed straight through. Thor looked down in horror and spun around as the real Loki appeared behind him. Loki launched his sceptre at Thor when suddenly Karina appeared and Loki's sceptre impaled her directly in the stomach. Loki didn't realise until he'd hurled Karina across the bridge.

Thor's roar alerted him and Loki stared at the fallen Karina in horror. Blood had already begun to stain her armour, the stain growing bigger and bigger. Thor ran over to her side, falling to his knees next to her as Karina groaned. Trying to ignore her shaking hands, Karina tried to use her magic to heal her injury but knowing how exhausted she was, she knew it wouldn't stop the bleeding for long.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked quietly as Karina groaned in pain. She nodded, her eyes squeezing shut in pain.

Now she was pissed.

Thor stood up, glaring at Loki as he stalked towards them. Thor swung his hammer but it passed straight through his brother, causing him to disappear. Another Loki appeared, this time to Thor's right, but that too was an illusion as it disappeared when Thor tried to hit him.

More and more illusion's of Loki appeared as Thor kept swinging his sword, trying to make contact. None did. In despair, Thor fell back onto his knees as the Loki's encircled him, sceptre's raised.

"I always was more clever than you," Loki grinned.

"Yet not clever enough," Thor smirked as he raised his hammer into the air. Lightning struck the hammer and split in different directions, hitting each illusion Loki and sending the real Loki flying across the bridge, his sceptre falling out of his hand. Thor walked up to his brother, stepping over him. Loki winced, preparing himself for the worst when Thor simply walked away from him. Loki opened his eyes and smirked, trying to stand up, only to fall back down. Confusion crossed his face until he looked down and saw the hammer resting on top of him.

Thor hurried over to Karina and helped her to her feet, putting an arm around her waist as she stumbled. Thor looked around them desperately, trying to figure out away to stop the Bifrost.

"Look at you two, the Mighty Thor and the Goddess of Fire. With all your strength, what good does it do you now?" Loki grinned smugly as he watched the desperate heroes.

Karina realised first. She looked down at the bridge, the colours vibrating with the power of the Bifrost energy and looked up towards the Observatory. She looked to Thor, a sad expression on her face as she watched him realise the same thing. He looked down at her and she nodded, magic swirling around her hands in readiness. Thor reached out a hand and summoned Mjolnir, which came flying to his hand. Loki looked up confused as the two siblings walked forward slightly.

"Jane, please forgive us," Thor whispered quietly as he raised the hammer above his head. Thunder rumbled over head as lightning built up around the hammer. The magic surrounding Karina's hands increased, becoming brighter and brighter until she released it onto the bridge as Thor sent his hammer crashing into the bridge.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Loki cried as he stumbled to his feet. Thor lifted the hammer into the air again, bringing it down onto the bridge as Karina used her magic to break apart the magic within the bridge itself. The energy from the Bifrost began to stream out, falling into the chasm of space below them.

"If you destroy the bridge, you'll never be able to see her again!" Loki cried. Karina glanced behind her and saw Loki running towards them, picking up his spear as he went. She pushed deep down into her magic and felt a surge of power. She sent it into the bridge as Thor lifted his hammer high into the air, smashing it into the bridge.

"Forgive me, Jane!" Thor cried as his hammer smashed the bridge, severing the Bifrost and shutting it down. The observatory crashed onto the rocks below as the bridge exploded, sending the three siblings flying across the remaining bridge.

Karina grabbed onto Loki's hand as they went falling into the chasm below them. She grabbed onto the sceptre that Loki was holding and felt a sudden jolt as someone caught Thor's ankle, stopping them all from falling off the bridge. Karina looked up and saw Odin, armour on, leaning off the bridge, holding onto his son.

"I could have done it, father. I could have done it!" Loki cried, searching his father's face for some kind of acceptance. Karina looked down and saw how hopeful he looked.

"No, Loki," Odin said quietly. The hope drained quickly. Loki's entire demeanour stiffened and Karina felt his hand slip from hers.

"No, no," she cried, desperately trying to grab onto her brother as he let go. "NO!" Karina could only watch as her brother, the one she had looked up to and admired all her life, fell into space.

She barely felt Thor pulling her back onto the bridge, her eyes never leaving the spot where Loki had vanished. Her older brother wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him as she sobbed. The pain of losing Loki, the pain of being impaled and the exhaustion of the whole ordeal quickly caught up with her and she passed out, falling limp in her brother's arms with one thought following her to the darkness.

Loki was dead.

* * *

The party was in full swing. The sound of laughter and clinking goblets filled the air as Asgardians celebrated the return of Thor and Odin. Despite the celebratory mood, Karina and Thor sat separate from the main event, lost in their own worlds. The two siblings were holding hands and looking solemn, Karina was wearing a long-sleeved green ball gown, covered in gems. If anyone had made the connection between her lost brother and the dress, they didn't say anything.

Karina let out a sigh as she spotted her mother and Sif watching them sadly.

"I'm going to go," she whispered quietly, standing up. Thor nodded, squeezing her hand as she went. Karina ducked out of the banquet hall and walked towards the destroyed bridge where Heimdal stood watching. He smiled down at Karina as she stood to his right, watching the universe moving around them.

She missed Loki more than she realised she would. There was a hole in her life where he would've been and people were beginning to notice. But Karina knew, that in time, it would get easier to be without him. She just wasn't ready to accept that fact yet.

* * *

"How is she?"

Thor glanced at his father at the question. Both we're watching the sunset over the kingdom, neither saying anything, simply content to watch the sun.

"She misses him," Thor replied quietly. "She's struggling to cope with everything that's happened these past few days but I think, in time, she'll be fine."

"She'd make a good queen one day," Odin muttered quietly. "She's so much like her mother."

"She is, yet she's still her own person," Thor said. "I'm ashamed that we didn't spend much time together before..."

"That is in the past, my son. You have a chance to change things and make amends. Take it." Odin sighed, turning slightly to face his son. "You'll make a good king one day."

Thor hesitated. "And...if I don't want to be king?" He looked up at his father. "I could never be a greater King than you, father. With the sacrifices you have to make, I - I couldn't do that."

"I understand," Odin replied. "Spend time with your sister. Look after her."

"I will."

* * *

Thor walked up next to Heimdall, standing quietly next to Karina, a gentle arm around her shoulders.

"Can you see her?" He asked quietly, looking down at the stars swirling around. If Karina looked hard enough she could swear she could see Earth, spinning around its universe slowly.

"Yes," Heimdall responded with a smile.

"How is she?" Thor asked.

"She searches for you."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I totally did not forget about this story. I totally remembered.**

* * *

Six months. It'd been six months since Loki had died. Karina had slowly moved on with her life and the pain she'd felt had quickly been replaced with anger. Anger at her brother's actions; anger at him letting go; anger at everything he'd done. It was an ache that she knew wouldn't go away any time soon and she had accepted that. Thor had been her rock over the past few weeks. He'd listened to her, held her close when she needed it and was simply _there_. Their bond was becoming stronger every single day and they had learnt to rely on each other in the heat of battle.

The day everything went wrong was a particularly stormy day. Rain slashed at the windows and thunder rolled across the sky, splitting it open with lightning. Thor always found it funny how on these days, most of the palace servants avoided him, thinking his anger had caused the sudden turn in the weather. It hadn't.

The two siblings were discussing this when a knock on the door interrupted them. "It's open," Karina called out from where she was curled up on the sofa in a long, floaty skirt and a thin, red shirt. She looked up when a guard walked in, a serious expression on his face.

"The AllFather demands your presence at one," he said stiffly. Karina and Thor nodded, dismissing the guard, and stood up.

"What do you think he wants?" Karina asked as they walked down the corridor towards the throne room.

"Probably wants us to go diffuse a riot or something," Thor replied. "There's not much else we can do with the Bifrost destroyed." Karina nodded, a curious look on her face. "What?" Thor asked.

"Nothing," Karina replied, linking her arm with his, "I was just thinking about what father could possibly want, especially with the weather like it is." Thor hummed in agreement as they reached the doors to the throne room. The two guards standing outside nodded and opened the doors, revealing Odin and Frigga standing close to one another by the throne.

"Mother, Father," Thor addressed, nodding to each one in turn, "what's this about?"

Odin glanced at Frigga, who nodded gravely and sighed. "It's about Loki."

Karina looked up, eyes wide. "What about Loki?" She asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"He's alive, Heimdall has sighted him on Midgard. He has the Tesseract and is planning to take over th-" Karina stopped hearing Odin's words as the first sentence began to sink in.

Alive. Not dead. Very much not dead considering he was planning to take over Midgard. Karina felt her knees go weak and someone caught her before she fell. How was he alive? Why did he hide? All this time he'd made her suffer. Made her think he was dead. So many questions were running through her head that she could barely concentrate, barely think. She was angry now. No, not angry, pissed. Everything was still moving in slow motion. Karina could hear the crack as lightning arched across the sky and felt the vibration from the thunder.

"-ria. Karina."

Karina suddenly felt her brain speed up, zoning back in with everything. She looked up and saw her mother crouching in front of her, hand on her arm, and her father sitting down in the throne. Her back was leaning against Thor and his hand was holding hers, the other rubbing her shoulder.

"Are you with us?" Frigga asked gently, rubbing her arm. Karina nodded and stood up, Thor helping her the entire way. Karina could feel her magic sparking at her fingertips in her anger and she clenched her fists, swallowing it.

"Sorry," she whispered, looking down. Her fingers had a purple hue to them that flickered as she unclenched her hands.

"Don't be,' Odin replied. "It's a massive shock to all of us. But what I will ask of you is great." The siblings nodded. "I need you to go down to Midgard, retrieve the Tesseract and stop Loki, no matter what. He has an army of Chitauri and in return for winning him the earth, he'll give them the Tesseract. He cannot be allowed to take over the planet. Should you be successful, you are to bring him back to me for a trial in crimes against Midgard and Asgard. Do you understand?"

"We do," Thor replied, knowing Karina couldn't talk. "But how exactly are we going to get there, the Bifrost is destroyed."

Odin let out a weary sigh. "There is a way, but it requires dark magic. But it is our only hope." Karina and Thor nodded, showing that they were following. "In the vaults underneath this room, there is a secret passage to Midgard. From there you'll have to find Loki yourselves, but I believe Karina can sense him when he's near." Karina looked up, startled that her father knew that. Odin chuckled, "no need to be so surprised, Karina. I'm not as stupid as I look." Karina blushed slightly, embarrassment seeping in at the fact that she hadn't realised her father was so perceptive. "Now, off you go."

Frigga hugged Karina quickly, then Thor as the two turned to leave. "Bring him home," she whispered in Karina's ear as she let go. Karina nodded, smiling slightly as they left the room.

'Are you sure you're up to this?" Thor asked as they walked to the vaults.

Karina nodded. "I need to do this," she responded. "If only to kill him myself." Thor nodded, finding her hand and squeezing it tightly.

* * *

The walk down to the vaults allowed Karina to change into her armour and braid her hair back. She slid her sword into the hilt on her back as they walked down the steps, flexing her fingers and wrists as she tried to re-adjust to her bronze armour. Heimdall was waiting for them by the secret passage and nodded at them both as they walked up. His golden eyes glanced at them both as he slammed his sword into the ground at their feet. A massive rumbled threatened to topple Karina over and she grabbed onto a nearby rock to steady herself as they passageway appeared before them.

"You'll have to fly in, Thor. Karina will have to hold onto you," Heimdall told them as he twisted the sword.

"Are you sure it's him?" Thor asked suddenly, doubt in his eyes. Heimdall looked his friend in the eye and nodded. "Then off we go." Karina wrapped her arms around her brother as he begun spinning his hammer around. The wind in the vaults picked up and the secret passage began to light up in the familiar colours of the Bifrost. Karina closed her eyes as she felt her feet lift off the ground and the wind began to whistle in her ears as they travelled through the passage.

In a blast of bright light and a crack of thunder, they emerged onto Midgard, crashing down onto a forest floor. Karina got to her knees and skidded along the ground, planting her sword in the dirt to stop herself moving. She leant on the sword, panting as she tried to calm her heart down from the adrenaline of the ride. She stood up, dusting leaves and mud off her knees and found Thor walking over to her.

"Can you feel him yet?" He asked, looking around. Karina noticed that Thor's knuckles were white from his grip on his hammer and she grabbed his wrist, rubbing it gently. Thor looked down, relaxing his grip on the hammer.

"In a way, I can," she replied, looking up at the sky. "It's a rather odd feeling. I'm just not sure why I didn't feel it before now. It's like I can almost hear his heartbeat."

"Heimdall has only just seen him," Thor reminded her. "He's only revealed himself recently."

"I know," Karina replied. Suddenly, she felt a wave of magic wash over her. It sent a tingling feeling down her arms and she could feel goosebumps raising all over her skin. She could hear a heartbeat and knew it was him. "He's close," she announced. As she spoke, jet engines roared over head and the sensation got stronger. "He's on that jet." She pointed to where the jet was and Thor nodded. He looked around quickly and pointed to a cluster of rocks up on a mountain. It was quite high up and gave a good view of the forest floor and the surrounding area.

"I'll drop you off there and bring him to you," he told her as she wrapped her arms around him, preparing herself for the short flight. Thor quickly dropped Karina off at the spot and she sat down on a flat rock and watched as he disappeared into the clouds, chasing after the plane. Lightning began to crack across the sky and Karina smirked, knowing that Loki knew exactly what that meant.

It didn't take long before Karina could see Thor approaching, a harsh grip on Loki's collar. Thor threw his brother to the dusty ground and Loki groaned at the impact. Karina stood up and glared down at her 'dead' brother as he looked up at the two of them.

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor growled as Loki sat up.

"Oh-ho, I missed you too," Loki smirked as he looked up at Thor. His smirk failed slightly when Karina walked up and stood next to her brother.

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood? Do either of us?" Thor asked, gesturing with his hammer to Karina.

"Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the All-Father have to muster to conjure you both here? Your precious Earth," Loki spat. Thor threw Mjolnir onto the ground and hauled Loki to his feet.

"We thought you dead," Thor said quietly.

"Did you mourn?" Loki asked, not sadness in his voice.

"We all did. Our father-"

" _Your_ father," Loki reminded him. "He did tell you of my true parentage, did he not?"

" _I_ told him," Karina said, speaking for the first time. "We all mourned, Loki. You have no idea how hard it was for us, for me. Despite everything that happened, you're still my _brother_ , Loki."

"We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?" Thor demanded.

"I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I who was and should be kind!" Loki was yelling by the end of his sentence, rage leaking into every single word.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?" Thor asked. When Loki didn't answer, Thor knew he was right. "No. The Earth is under our protection, Loki."

"You've changed," Loki replied smugly. Karina let out a low sigh, her joy at her brother being replaced with annoyance and anger.

"Then you miss the truth ruling, brother. The throne would suit you ill," Thor said. Loki pushed past Thor and walked away towards the edge of the cliff. Thor turned around and followed him, Karina keeping her distance.

Suddenly, Loki spun around, "I have seen worlds you've never known about. I have grown _Odinson_ , in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I weird it -"

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?" Thor demanded.

"I am a king!" Loki yelled.

"Not here!" Thor grabbed hold of Loki's jacket and clenched it tightly, breathing hard. Karina placed a gentle hand on Thor's arm, calming him down. "You give up the Tesseract, you give up this poisonous dream!" Thor paused and Karina could see the pain in his eyes. "You come home."

Loki hesitated for a moment, "I don't have it." Thor growled, letting go of Loki and summoning Mjolnir holding it towards Loki. "You need the cube to bring me home but I've sent it off I know not where." Loki chuckled.

"You listen well, brother -"

Suddenly, Thor was knocked off the cliff by what appeared to be a flying man. Karina spun around in shock, watching as they crashed into the trees below.

"I'm listening," Loki quipped and Karina turned around and glared at him.

She took a hesitant step towards him and sighed. "You've always been my equal, Loki," she whispered quietly. "I don't what I did to deserve all this hatred because I've always treated you as my brother. I just about understand the hatred towards Thor, towards Odin…but not towards our mother and myself. You may not have been Odin's son, but you were and still are Frigga's." Loki stared at her in surprise.

"I don't hate you, Karina," Loki replied gently. He glanced down at the forest floor, look in his eyes that Karina missed in her anger.

"Then explain to me why you let go?" Karina demanded. "Explain to me why you couldn't just stop and wait for an explanation?" She was breathing hard, her heart beating fast as she finally unleashed her pent up anger towards her brother. "I _mourned_ you, Loki. I cried for you, I missed you…I feel like that was all for nothing." Karina chuckled dryly, "I knew you were capable of evil, brother. But I didn't realise you were capable of this."

Just as Karina finished speaking, an all mighty clang echoed from the forest below, the shockwave knocking trees over. Karina felt herself slide back slightly as the shockwave passed through. She hurried over to the edge of the cliff and saw Thor stumbling to his feet with two other men either side of him. Overheard the jet from earlier roared, hovering over the forest waiting for the men to board.

Karina looked down at Thor and saw him nod at her, _they're on our side._ She stormed over to Loki and hauled him to his feet roughly. She pushed him off the edge of the cliff and followed, landing with a _thump_ on the ground in front of the two new arrivals and her brother. She pushed Loki towards Thor and glared at Loki's back as he went. Thor frowned at her as she walked away.

"If I'm in charge of him, I will murder him," she explained before walking towards the jet that had landed in the clearing.

* * *

As it turned out, the jet belonged to S.H.I.E.L.D and was being flown by Natasha Romanoff - someone Barton had mentioned when she was last on earth — and the two other passengers were Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Karina didn't have much of an idea as to who they were but a quick conversation with Natasha - who knew _exactly_ who Karina was thanks to Barton - told her that one was a billionaire in a metal suit and the other was a soldier from the '40s. What a strange world Earth was.

Karina had chosen to sit far away from Loki. She was still extremely mad at Loki and was concerned she would actually murder him. Thor kept glancing between the two siblings worriedly but didn't say anything, knowing that Karina had it under control...kinda of.

"We'll be landing soon," Natasha announced after a while. "He'll be taken away under armed guard and locked in a cell and then we'll decide what we need to do," Thor grunted in acknowledgement and continued watching Loki.

It didn't take long for the jet to land. As soon as the ramp opened, two armed guards walked up and hauled Loki to his feet, dragging him away and down the ramp. Karina watched as he disappeared inside the Helicarrier and jumped slightly when Thor nudged her. She fell in behind Natasha as she led them inside the ship and towards the main control room.

Tony disappeared at some point. Natasha didn't seem concerned so Karina dismissed it, carrying on walking behind the agent. She stopped suddenly as Loki was led past, surrounded by guards, with a smirk in his face. Karina avoided his gaze as he strolled past and was extremely grateful when they finally arrived at the main control room.

Karina pulled out a chair at a large table at the back of the room where a projector was streaming a live video of Loki in a large, circular cell. She unsheathed her sword, throwing it on to the table and sat down, crossing her ankles as she glanced up at the screen. She didn't want to listen to the interrogation. Karina could barely believe that it was _Loki_ in that cell. Loki that had attacked Earth, who had an army ready to invade the Earth just to get some recognition. She simply watched as Fury - who Karina learned later was in charge - spoke to a smirking Loki. Karina had to give Loki credit for not telling Fury anything. But Karina could read Loki easily and knew that being captured was all part of his plan.

Suddenly the video disappeared and Karina zoned back in, shaking her head slightly to rid herself of her thoughts.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?' Karina jumped, looking behind her at the man who had at some point walked in. She assumed it was the Doctor Banner Natasha had mentioned on the way in.

"Loki's going to drag this out. So, Thor, Karina, what's his play?" Steve asked, glancing at the two Gods. Karina glanced at her brother, _you can tell them_.

"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, we suspect, for the Tesseract," Thor explained.

"An army, from outer space?" Steve questioned, disbelief on his face.

"So, he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for," Banner suggested.

"Selvig?" Thor asked and Karina could see the worry in his eyes.

"He's an astrophysicist," Banner elaborated thinking Thor didn't know who he was.

"He's a friend," Karina told him. "It would appear Loki is determined to make this personal."

"He has them under some kind of spell, along with one of ours," Natasha informed them.

"Clint?" Karina asked quietly. She'd noticed his absence and had hoped Loki hadn't got to him. But at Natasha's small nod, she knew he had. A purple spark shot out from the hand Karina was clenching and she quickly hid it under the table, hoping no one had noticed.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Steve said suddenly. "He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you can smell crazy on him," Bruce replied.

"Have care how you speak," Thor said quickly. "Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard, and he is our brother." Thor looked over at Karina, frowning when he saw her hands clenched under the table.

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha replied emotionlessly, glaring at Thor.

"He's adopted?" Thor suggested, shrugging.

"Seriously?" Karina questioned. Everyone turned to look at her but she glared at Thor who looked slightly sheepish. "That's how this _entire_ thing began!" Karina exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Thor shrugged and Karina sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"I think it's about the mechanic," Banner said suddenly in an attempt to avoid an argument between the two gods. "Iridium, what do they need the Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilising agent." Karina turned around as Tony and Coulson walked into the room. Karina shot Coulson a smile, which the agent returned as he walked past. "Means the ports won't collapse in on itself as it did at SHIELD," Tony explained, patting Thor on the arm as he passed, "no hard feelings, Point Break, you've got a neat swing." Karina stifled a laugh at Thor's look towards an oblivious Tony and feigned innocence when Thor looked at her offended. "Nice sword," Tony added as he walked past the table where Karina has thrown it.

Tony walked up to the main control station and begun pressing some icons. "Ah, raise the mizzen mast, ship the topsails," he said suddenly causing all the personnel in the room to look at him strangely. "That man is playing Galaga!" Tony yelled pointing to an agent. "Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." He then covered one eye and looked around. "How does Fury even see these?"

"He turns," Hill deadpanned. Karina chuckled softly at the woman's comment as Tony looked away.

"Sounds exhausting," Tony quipped as he turned back to the screen and began messing around. "The rest of the materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to - kick start the cube." Tony clicked his fingers as he spoke and turned around to face a slightly impressed Maria Hill.

"When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Last night," Tony replied quickly. "The packets, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers - am I there only one who did the reading?"

"We only just got here so don't blame us," Karina muttered, slouching in the chair.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.

"He'd have to heat the cube to one hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier," Banner answered. Karina looked at Steve and discovered that both had the same expression of confusion on their faces.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilise the Quantum Tunneling effect," Tony answered back.

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve heavy-ion fusion at any reactor on the planet," Banner said.

"Finally someone who speaks English," Tony exclaimed.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve muttered looking at the others sitting at the table. Tony walked up to Bruce and held out a hand. Bruce took it and the two shook hands, Bruce looking slightly nervous.

"It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner," Tony said. "Your work on anti-electronic collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

"Thanks…" Banner mumbled quietly.

"Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube, I was hoping you might join him," Fury announced as he walked into the room.

"I'd start with that stick of his. It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon," Steve said, perking up suddenly.

"It's a sceptre," Karina corrected quietly.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys," Fury explained.

"Monkeys, I don't understand-"

"I do!" Steve exclaimed, cutting Thor off. The room fell silent and everyone stared at him. "I understood that reference," he mumbled, evidently realising just how out of sync he was with the world.

"Shall we play, Doctor?" Tony asked. Banner gestured to the door, following after Tony as they left the room.

"Thor, Karina, is there anything you could tell us about Loki that could help us?" Fury asked looking at the siblings.

"If he's here," Karina began, "then it's part of his plan. There's no way Loki would have let you take him if he hadn't wanted to be right here. He is a god after all."

"So you're saying that being captured is part of the plan?" Natasha asked, turning her attention solely on the goddess.

Karina nodded, "I have known Loki all my life. Everything he does is for a reason." Karina could feel that everyone's attention was on her and she shifted in her seat.

"Do you know what that reason is?" Fury asked watching her closely.

"Without talking to him, no," Karina admitted. "He's not going to tell you anything," she sighed, "but he might tell me."

"No," Thor said firmly, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Karina asked, sitting up in the chair. "He doesn't hate me, Thor."

"He stabbed you with his sceptre," Thor reminded her.

"He was aiming for you!" She exclaimed. "Let me talk to him, Thor. Maybe I can get some kind of idea as to what he's doing. And maybe, even talk some sense into him."

"Using your magic?" Thor questioned looking at her curiously.

"Possibly. If I can sense him then maybe I can read him too," she suggested. "My magic is still an unknown entity, even to me. Perhaps there is even a bit of physic powers in the mix." Karina turned to Fury. "I'm your best shot at getting him to talk and admit something."

Fury stared at her, drumming his fingers against his side. EVmtually he sighed, crossing his arms. "Fine, but if anything happens, if he even tries to sneak out, I will eject him."

"I know,' Karina replied.

Fury stared at Karina for a moment, almost analysing her. Karina met his gaze, not faltering the slightest bit and Fury chuckled. "Ok, but Coulson and Romanoff go with you."

The two agents in question nodded and moved towards the door. As Karina stood up, Thor came over and embraced her tightly.

"I'll be fine," she whispered quietly, patting his back.

"I know," Thor replied as he let go. Karina shot him a smile as she followed Natasha and Coulson through the door and into a long corridor.

"We'll wait right outside the door," Coulson explained as they walked. "If you need to leave at any time, look to one of the cameras in the room and we'll open the door. The entire conversation is being filmed and watched so we'll know if you try anything."

"Coulson," Karina said, pausing to look at the agent. "He may be my brother but I'm here to save the Earth and stop him from invading. I won't try anything."

" _I_ know that," Coulson explained as they carried on walking. He glared at a gawping agent as he added, "It's everyone else around here that doesn't."

They fell into silence as they continued their way to where Loki was. Karina bit her lip as she thought about what she _exactly_ she was going to say to Loki. She was still mad at him, but her emotions weren't important right now, saving the planet was. All Karina really wanted to know was _why_ Loki did what he did. Why did he team up with the Chitarui? Why did he want to invade the Earth? Karina had a sneaking suspicion that she knew why, but asking her brother couldn't hurt.

"You ready?" The question had come from Natasha who was watching the goddess closely. Karina nodded, taking a deep breath, and walked into the room. Loki was standing in the centre of the cell, back to her, as she walked in. Footsteps silent on the floor as she approached.

"Loki," Karina called softly. He spun around and his eyes widened when he saw Karina standing there.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to be the one to interrogate me," he said with a smirk.

"And I wasn't expecting to have to leave Asgard today," Karina replied with a shrug. "But here we are."

"I am assuming _they've_ sent you here to find out what my plan is," Loki guessed, turning around and facing away from Karina.

"That's what they think," Karina replied, glancing behind her briefly," but the real reason I'm here is to talk to you as your sister."

Loki turned around to face her at that. He stared at her for a while, reading her. "Why?"

"Because I know you, Loki. You wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't a reason for it. And you certainly wouldn't be _here_ if it wasn't apart of your plan." Karina looked her brother in the eye. "So, why are you here?"

"I'm here because Odin lied to me all my life," Loki spat. "He hid my true parentage from for years, all because it no longer fitted in with his plans."

"He lied to _all of us_ , Loki!" Karina exclaimed. "If anyone has some idea of what's going on in your head right now, it's Thor and me."

"You've no idea what it's like, Karina," Loki said harshly. "Is this why you came here? To try and talk me out of a war with your precious Midgard? Or was it to answer your own questions, to try and ease your sense of guilt?"

Karina growled, turning away from her brother. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she felt her magic bubbling away inside her. "I came here because I couldn't believe what they were saying. I couldn't believe that you would kill eighty, innocent people -"

"They were no more innocent than you or I!" Loki yelled, storming up to the glass of the cage. His eyes blazed with rage. "I will win the Earth, and when I do they will understand that they were made to be ruled." He scoffed as he walked backwards, away from the glass. "You cannot stop this, Karina. The plan is already in motion."

Karina spun around suddenly, a smirk on her face. "So being here _is_ part of your plan."

"What? No-" Loki stared at her in shock as he realised his mistake.

"Thank you, Loki. For proving to me what I already suspected," Karina said with a smile. She turned around and walked towards the open door and awaiting Coulson and Natasha. She heard a thud as Loki most likely hit the glass wall. Coulson nodded in approval as she approached and Karina smiled.

"Karina, wait!" Loki yelled suddenly. Karina froze, turning her head slightly to look over her shoulder. Loki hesitated, trying to find the words. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Karina looked up at him, meeting his gaze with one of blazing fury. "Yeah, well, you should've thought of that before you let go," she replied. Karina briefly saw Loki's look of shock before she walked out of the room and away from her brother.

"How'd you manage that?" Natasha asked as she walked Karina back to the bridge. "He broke pretty quickly with you there."

"Loki and I have always been close," Karina began, "when he went on his rampage on Asgard, he never wanted to hurt me. I'd done nothing to him, it was Thor and our father he was angry at. I simply got in the way. When Loki is angry he always reveals something by accident. You just have to learn to push the right buttons to get the right answers.

"Loki has always wanted to be Thor's equal ever since he was little. When I came along, it helped him cope with living in Thor's shadow because I admired him. Everything I know about magic, he taught me. When I first discovered his treachery, I refused to believe it was true. I couldn't believe that my brother would do such a thing to his family. But he wasn't my brother then; he was a power hungry man who felt wronged and was doing everything and anything to feel his father's approval," Karina explained.

"He's dangerous," Natasha commented.

"All three of us are," Karina stated simply. "Loki just wants approval and to be the King he was promised. Which makes him the most dangerous, I suppose."

"You mentioned magic," Natasha said. "I'm assuming you don't mean pulling a rabbit out of a hat."

Karina stopped and looked around quickly. Seeing they were alone, she conjured a purple flame in her hand, smiling slightly at the slightly impressed expression on Natasha's face. Karina grabbed the flame and extinguished it as a group of agents marched past, guns in hand.

"That's my weapon. It connects to my sword and can kill anything," she explained as they started walking again. "There's a reason I'm known as the Goddess of Fire."

"Barton wasn't lying," Natasha commented.

"I'm sorry," Karina said suddenly. Natasha looked at her and she sighed. "About Barton being taken. Loki knew exactly what he was doing.

"Do you have any idea how to get him out of Loki's spell?" Natasha asked and Karina saw a glimmer of hope in the agent's eyes for a second.

"No," Karina admitted sadly. "But I have heard that hitting someone around the head really hard tends to work."

Natasha smiled slightly, rummaging in her pocket for something. Karina watched as she pulled out a small, black device and handed it to her. "Earpiece," Natasha stated simply as an explanation. Karina nodded and took it from her, attempting to place in her ear.

"God this is weird," Karina muttered as she switched it on and it was suddenly filled with voices. Natasha smirked as they carried on walking into the Bridge. Karina thanked the woman as she left to go do something and stood for a moment, taking it all in. She spotted Thor and Coulson talking to each other and quietly approached them.

"As soon as Loki took the Doctor we moved Jane Foster," Coulson was explaining as Karina approached. The older man nodded at her in greeting and Thor glanced down, giving her a small smile. "We've got an excellent observatory in Tromso. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe."

"Thank you," Thor said quietly. "It's no accident Loki taking Erik Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man."

"He talks a lot about you," Coulson said as they walked through the bridge, "both of you, in fact. You changed his life. You changed everything around here."

'Things were better as they were," Thor replied. "We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced, but we come here battling like Bildschneip."

"Like what?" Coulson asked, staring at Thor in confusion.

"Bildschneip." Coulson shook his head. "You know, huge, scaly, big antlers." Still nothing. "You don't have those?"

"No," Coulson replied, glancing at Karina who was smiling.

"Huh, well they are repulsive," Thor explained.

"It's essentially a cross between a moose and a crocodile," Karina whispered to Coulson as Thor walked towards a large window.

"Ah," Coulson said. "He's right that is repulsive."

Karina chuckled but stopped when she saw her brother looking out of the window, a sad expression on his face.

"When I first came to earth, Loki's rage followed me here and your people paid the price. And now again," Thor sighed. "And in my youth, I courted war." Karina sighed, sitting down on a step as Fury walked onto the bridge.

"War hasn't started yet," he said, walking down the stairs. "Do you think you can make Loki tell us where the Tesseract is?"

"I don't know. Loki's mind is far afield. It's not just power he craves, it's vengeance upon me. There's no pain would prise his need from him," Thor explained sadly.

"A lot of guys think that, until the pain starts," Fury reminded him.

"What are you asking me to do?" Thor asked, facing Fury.

"I'm asking what are you prepared to do," Fury replied. "Both of you." Karina looked up at that and saw the man staring down at her.

"Loki is a prisoner," Thor stated.

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?" Fury asked.

"Loki's said all he wants to," Karina said suddenly. "I doubt he'd tell us where the Tesseract is even if he was being tortured. But I do know that he _wants_ to be a prisoner. Whatever he's planning, being captured is part of that plan."

"Are you telling me that Loki is planning to attack my ship?" Fury asked, glaring down at the woman with his eye. Karina stared back up at him, matching his glare with one equally as vicious.

"I'm telling you that you'd better prepare this ship for something big. Because wherever the Tesseract is, Loki won't want to be far from it." Karina stood up and walked off the Bridge, ignoring the looks she got from the other agents in the room.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello strangers! Welcome to 1 of 2 chapters (I know, I know, settle down)! I have no idea when I'll next update (thanks A-Levels) but I have not stopped writing this story, don't worry.**

 **Also, Avengers: Endgame looks forking awesome, but I'm more excited for Captain Marvel (Brie Larson is a legit goddess *heart eyes*) and how 90's it's going to be. *sighs happily***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Karina found herself wondering the corridors of the helicarrier, no destination in mind at all. Fury had rubbed her up the wrong way and she needed a walk to clear her head and to prepare herself for whatever Loki was planning. She took a right at a fork in the corridor, not releasing that she was heading back towards the brig.

"Hey! Scary Goddess girl!"

Karina looked up and saw Banner and Tony in the lab, the latter of which was yelling at her and waving. She sighed as she walked up to the door, pausing as it slid open.

"What?" She asked brashly, crossing her arms.

"Just thought I'd say hi," Tony replied as he pressed something buttons on the screen.

"Hi."

"Now, now," Tony quipped, swiping the screen away and walking up to her. "There is no need to be so tetchy. Blueberry?" Karina stared at him in confusion as he whipped out a packet of, what she assumed was blueberries, and offered her one. "No?"

"What do you want, Tony?" Karina asked again, looking to Banner for help.

"We need to ask you a few questions about Loki's sceptre," Banner answered from where he was looking at a complicated graph. "We figured you'd be the best person to ask."

"Fine," Karina replied, pushing herself up onto a nearby counter. "For starters, the sceptre isn't connected to the Tesseract, it has its own power source in the form of an infinity stone."

"That's what we suspected," Tony stated, swiping at something on the screen. "Anything else?"

"If you're trying to find the Tesseract - which I assume you are - it has a heat signature very similar to that of Loki's sceptre. Find that heat source, find the tesseract."

Tony and Banner stared at her for a second, both paused mid-action as they took in her words. Karina stared back at them, crossing her arms as she waited for them to mentally run the idea.

"Right," Tony said slowly, " so if we scan the sceptre for its heat source, it'll lead us to the Tesseract?"

"Essentially, yes," Karina replied, swinging her legs.

"What are you doing, Mr Stark?"

Karina jumped slightly as Fury marched in, coat billowing behind him. She looked at Banner, who simply shook his head as if to say _don't ask._

"Uh-kind of been wondering the same thing about you," Tony replied, twiddling a screwdriver between his fingers.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract," Fury replied.

"We are," Banner said suddenly. "The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now that Karina's confirmed what we suspected. When we get a bit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

'And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss," Tony replied. "What is Phase Two?" He asked suddenly.

There was a loud bang as a weapon was slammed down on the counter next to Karina. The Goddess looked up and saw a rather angry looking Steve Rogers glaring at Fury.

'Phase Two is SHIELD use the Cube to make weapons," he explained. "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow to me."

"Now hang on," Karina said, jumping down. "What makes you think SHIELD gets to keep the cube?"

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're -"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony said suddenly, spinning a screen to face him. On it was the plans for a missile. Plans that seemed to focus significantly on the Tesseract. "What were you lying?"

"I was wrong, Director," Steve said quietly, "the world hasn't changed a bit."

"You do realise the cube doesn't belong to you," Karina told Fury. "We can't leave without it and I'm pretty sure you don't want us hanging around here any longer than we have to."

Before Fury could reply, Thor and Natasha walked in, the former looking rather confused as to what was happening.

"Did you know about this?" Banner asked Natasha as she walked in.

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Natasha asked, completely avoiding the question. The rising tension was becoming more and more obvious as the conversation went on and Karina had a feeling something bad was going to happen. The tinkling feeling she'd felt before was back and was creeping up her arms, goosebumps appearing on her skin.

Banner laughed. "I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you,'" Natasha explained, stepping forward slowly.

"And you've been doing what exactly?" Banner replied coldly, moving back towards his work.

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." He moved to face Fury, a gleam in his eyes. "I'd like to know why SHELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction?"

"Because of them," Fury said, pointing at Karina and Thor.

"Me?"

"What?"

"Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that levelled a small town. We learned that not unbolt are we not alone, but we are hopelessly - hilariously, out-gunned," Fury explained.

"Now hang on -"

"Our people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor interrupted.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury questioned. "And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve demanded.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war," Thor told them.

"A higher form?!" Steve exclaimed.

"Other beings in the realms believe that the earth is primitive, that it can be won in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. Using the cube as you did, Fury, you're telling the universe to come to fight you," Karina explained, throwing her hands in the air. "You are declaring war."

"You forced our hand!" Fury exclaimed, his coat swirling around him as he spun to face her. "We had to come up with some-"

"Nuclear deterrent!" Tony exclaimed. "'Cause that always calms everything right down."

Suddenly it was as if everyone wanted their voice heard. Tony, Fury and Steve began arguing with each other whilst Natasha and Banner avoided the others glare. Thor and Karina watched it all with a mix of disbelief and shock on their faces at how stupid humans were at times.

"Remind me again, Stark, how you made your fortune?" Fury asked.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Tony would be neck deep-"

"Wait, wait! Hold on!" Tony exclaimed, cutting Steve mid rant. "How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve retorted.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor stated simply and Karina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Fury turned to face him.

"You've done it now," she muttered quietly as everyone raised their voice to try and be heard.

"Excuse me, did we come ti your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury demanded, glaring at Thor with his one eye.

" _We_ didn't blow anything up," Karina replied, crossing her arms and shifting her weight slightly. " _Loki_ blew 'stuff' up, not us. We tried to stop him. And besides, I seem to remember being drugged and kidnapped by your agents!"

"We did not kidnap you,' Fury stated gruffly.

"Then what do you call the forceful taking of an innocent bystander?" Karina questioned. Fury had no response to that and turned away, looking slightly sheepish.

As everyone's voices got louder, Karina appeared to be the only one who noticed Loki's sceptre beginning to glow slightly brighter. It thrummed slightly, the blue cloud around it moving a little faster.

"Uh, guys?" Karina called, taking her eyes off the sceptre for a second to attract attention. Except _no one_ _was paying any attention_. Karina sighed but jumped slightly when the tingling feel intensified one again. Zoning in on that feeling, Karina could hear the argument becoming muffled as she moved away mentally. Somewhere, nearby, was the Tesseract.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos!"

Thor's loud voice caused Karina to lose her connection with the Tesseract and she stumbled slightly as her eyes focused on the room again.

A room that was full of arguing people.

"It's his MO, isn't it?" Banner asked. "I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're- we're a time bomb."

"You need to step away," Fury warned, noting that Banner was getting angrier by the second.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony demanded.

"You know damn well why!" Steve exclaimed, taking a step towards Tony. "Back off!"

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me," Tony replied slowly.

"Yeah, a big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?" Steve asked, moving closer so that he was level with Tony.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Tony replied quickly. Karina raised her eyebrows in agreement at the statement. He wasn't wrong.

"I know guys with no of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy ti make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire." Tony glared at Steve as the soldier straightened up, hostility rippling off him.

"Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero," Steve retorted.

"A hero," Tony spat, "like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. You came out of a bottle."

Karina opened her mouth to say something but was distracted by the sceptre letting out a large pulse. The tinkling on her arms increased even more and it began to feel like pins and needles. She ran a hand down her arms, trying to settle the feeling, but it did nothing.

"Put on the suit, let's go a few round," Steve stated angrily. Things appeared to be going from bad to worse.

"You people are so petty," Thor began, "and tiny."

"Shut up,' Karina hissed, smacking her brother on the chest with the back of her hand.

"Yeah, this is a team," Banner muttered angrily.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr Banner back to his -"

"Where? You _rented my room_ ," Banner growled, eyeing Fury angrily.

"The cell was just -"

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't, I know, I tried!" Silence fell at Banner's new revelation and everyone was staring at him in shock. He shifted his weight, looking rather uncomfortable suddenly. "I got low. I didn't see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spat it out. So I moved on, I focused on helping other people.

"I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

Natasha and Fury both reached for their guns and Karina summoned her magic, allowing it to bubble just slightly, as Banner grabbed Loki's sceptre from the table.

"Dr Banner," Steve began slowly, "put down the sceptre."

Banner looked down in surprise at the sceptre that was glowing in his hand. Nearby, a monitor beeped and Banner put the sceptre back on the table, walking to the other side of the room.

"Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all," Banner muttered as he walked to the other side of the room.

"You've located the Tesseract?" Thor asked as Banner tapped the screen. Karina shivered as the tingling on her arms intensified. The Tesseract had to be close.

"I can get there faster," Tony stated, following Thor's chain of thought.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it," Thor replied. Tony, apparently, wasn't listening and turned to leave when Steve stopped him.

"You're not going alone!" Steve exclaimed.

Tony smacked his hand away with a glare. "You gonna stop me?"

"Put on the suit, let's find out!" Steve exclaimed.

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit." It sounded final and Karina could sense a fight was brewing again.

"Oh my god," Banner muttered and Karina glanced up, just as the tingling feeling reached a new high.

"Thor-"

Karina didn't have a chance to finish her sentence when a massive explosion rocked the entire ship. Karina felt herself fly backwards and into the room below. Suddenly, she was jolted from her fall by a strong hand grabbing her wrist. Karina yelped as she smacked the side of the floor, hitting her ribs hard. She looked up and saw Thor pulling her up and back into the lab. Karina collapsed on top of her brother, breathing hard as her arms tingled furiously.

"Ria, you alright?" Thor asked gently, checking her over.

"Yeah," Karina breathed, shaking with adrenaline. "We need to get to Loki." She stumbled to her feet, Thor holding onto her arm to steady her as they ran out of the lab and into the corridor. She pushed several running agents out her way as they raced down to Loki's cell.

Karina skidded to a stop when a roar echoed from the floor below them. The two siblings looked at each other in horror. A silent exchange of words followed between the two and they took a sharp right, running down the stairs two at a time as they headed towards the roar.

"I've got Banner, you take Romanoff," Thor yelled as they entered the lower floor where the roar had come from. Karina watched after her brother as he ran over to the hulk and bit her lip in worry. She spun around on the spot, looking for Natasha, ignoring the loud thud that came from where Thor had gone.

Karina heard a groan from behind her and turned, seeing a glimpse of red hair by a wall. She sprinted over to it and found Natasha sitting on the floor, trembling with a sheen of sweat on her face.

"Natasha, are you alright?" Karina asked, crouching down next to the woman and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Natasha nodded shakily, and Karina looked at her in concern. She found the agents hand and grabbed it, squeezing it tightly as she felt it shaking.

"This is a first," Natasha said quietly.

"I won't tell if you won't," Karina replied, glancing behind her as another roar echoed around the floor.

Both women jumped slightly when Fury's voice came through the ear piece.

"It's Barton, he took out our systems. He's headed for the detention level. Does anyone copy?"

Karina raised her eyebrows in question at the agent and nodded.

"This is Agent Romanoff and Karina. We copy," Natasha replied, stumbling to her feet and heading to the detention level. Karina followed behind, blood pumping through her veins as she chased after the agent. They weaved through the seemingly endless corridors of the ship and towards the detention level Barton had been spotted on. All thoughts of Loki had completely slipped Karina's mind as she raced to save a man who she would later consider a best friend.

"What do you want me to do?" Karina asked breathlessly as she skidded around a corner.

"Keep your distance and cover me," Natasha answered, ducking to avoid an explosion of sparks.

"Roger." The door to the detention level was unlocked and Natasha pushed it open gently. Ahead of them, on a walkway, Barton was walking towards the opposite door, bow in hand. Natasha gestured for Karina to go up a level as the assassin sneaked across the walkway, towards Barton.

Quietly, Karina climbed up the ladder and onto the upper level, looking down as Natasha appeared behind Barton. Unsurprisingly, Barton knew Natasha was behind him and he turned around, firing his bow at her as he turned. It flew straight past Natasha and she pushed his hand down, cracking it slightly. Barton retaliated by charging at Natasha, shouldering her in the stomach but Natasha kicked him, taking his moment of surprise and rolling under a collection of pipes. Appearing the other side of the walkway she kicked Barton in the knees, ducking as he fired another arrow.

It was clear to Karina that the fight was even, despite Barton's mind not being his. Karina jumped down from her position, landing just above where the two assassins were fighting. She drew her sword, stumbling slightly as she moved forward. Her vision began to blacken, the walkway spinning around. A loud roaring sound filled her ears and Karina felt her knees hit the solid metal of the walkway. She knew she needed to help Natasha and Thor, knew she had to stop Loki. But as she went to stand, her vison went completely dark and she fell on to her back, her sword laying abandoned to the side as her mind went far away from the Helicarrier.

* * *

 _Karina gasped, spinning around frantically as she tried to figure out where she was. A fierce wind howled around her as she realised she was standing on a platform that was hovering in mid-air. On the ground at her feet was the tale tell sign of a Bifrost landing scorched into the rock._

 _Karina looked up as a whisper caught her attention, pulling her attention to the obelisk in front of her. There was a gap in between the top and bottom of the obelisk and in the gap as a floating, red substance. Karina took a hesitant step forward, frowning as she tried to figure out what the red stuff was. She reached out a hand to touch it and felt the red substance reach out for her, working its way up to her hand when -_

* * *

Karina gasped, sitting up suddenly. Someone had moved her from the walkways to a room off the main corridor in the helicarrier. She panted, running her fingers along the bedsheets as she tried to calm down. Karina took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she felt her heartbeat slow down. She jumped off the bed, shivering at the remaining chill in her body. She picked up a discarded sweater, pulling it on as she walked out of the room and into the hallway.

"You looking for Barton?" Karina swirled round and saw Hill standing in the doorway between the main hallway and the side one. Karina nodded, fiddling with the sleeves of her jumper. "He's in the fourth room down on the right." Karina smiled her thanks and walked down the corridor, following the directions Hill had given her.

It didn't take her long to find the room. She quietly knocked on the door, smiling when Natasha looked up. The Russian nodded at her and Karina opened the door, stepping inside.

"How is he?' she asked quietly.

"He's woken up once. He knows what happened with Loki, Banner, Thor and Coulson," Natasha sighed, "he's blaming himself, naturally."

"Wait, what happened with Coulson and Thor?" Karina asked.

"You don't know?" Natasha queried.

"No, I passed out…It's a thing that happens occasionally," Karina said with a wave of her hand. "Is Phil alright? What about my brother?"

"Karina, I'm sorry, but Loki…he killed Coulson," Natasha said bluntly, knowing there was no use hiding the truth. "He threw Thor out of the helicarrier along with Banner and they haven't been seen since."

"He what?" Karina mumbled, grasping onto the back of a nearby chair. "Coulson's dead?"

"Karina?" The princess looked up. Barton had woken up again and was leaning on his elbows as he stared at her. "What's wrong?" Karina shook her head, gripping the chair tightly as she slid down the wall.

"No, this, this isn't him, he wouldn't do this," she mumbled. Barton stood up, glancing at Natasha who mirrored his expression of worry. "He wouldn't do this to me."

"Karina, hey," Barton whispered, crouching in front of her." Look at me." Karina looked up, tears falling down her face. "This," he said waving a hand about, "is not your fault. Whether its Loki's or your father's or anyone else, it doesn't matter." Karina sighed. "What does matter, is that you _get back up_ and fight for this world."

Karina blinked, locking eyes with the archer in front of her. He stood up, offering her a hand, "So, are you with us?" Karina stared at the outreached hand in front of her and took a deep breath in. She couldn't hide behind her big brother anymore and pretend it wasn't happening. This was _personal._

"Yes," Karina replied, grasping Barton's hand in hers as he pulled her up off the floor. Barton squeezed her hand ever so slightly as they stood face to face and Karina nodded at him. She turned to face Natasha who gave her a single solitary nod.

It was time.

* * *

Karina jumped as the door slid open and Steve appeared in the doorway, suit on. "Time to go," he said, nodding at Karina. Karina gave him a lazy salute in response, jumping down from where she'd perched herself on the bed.

"Go where?" Natasha asked from the opposite end of the room.

"I'll tell you on the way," Steve responded. "Can you fly one of those jets?"

The door to the restroom opened and Clint – Karina felt that it was the right time to actually call him his first name _–_ emerged, drying his hands. "I can," he answered, throwing the towel on the bed.

Steve looked to Natasha, seeking confirmation that Clint was back to being Clint, and found it when she nodded. "Got a suit?" he asked.

"Yup," Clint replied, crossing his arms.

"Then suit up," Steve responded, walking off.

"You heard the Captain," Clint said, gesturing to the door, "Suit up."

* * *

 **A/N: Tada! I was tempted to put everything I've written into one chapter but I decided it was too long! Next chapter coming up next!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Chapter 2 for today! Whoo! We're nearly at the end of Avengers, next up is a small interval (I forking love domestic Avengers stuff so expect lots of that) and then on to Dark World! I love that film mainly because it takes place in Greenwich and Greenwich is so pretty! I also really love Thor's outfit at the start of the film...and his hair...it appears that I'm excited to write this film.**

* * *

Karina felt her stomach roll as she tightened her gauntlets up, making sure that she could still swing her sword. She was fighting her brother, again. Except for this time, he had an army and there were millions of innocent people in the way.

"Just a normal day," Karina muttered quietly as she slid her sword into its hilt on her back. "Because it's every day that you fight your raging lunatic of a brother and his alien army on Midgard," she grumbled as she braided her hair into a fishtail. "Who am I kidding, this is not normal." Karina let out a big breath, rolling her shoulders as she stared at herself in the mirror. She summoned her magic, smiling slightly when a purple mist surrounded her fingers, glowing brighter and brighter as she brought it up from the depths of her mind. Karina closed her eyes, storing her magic away, ready for the fight. When she opened her eyes, she knew it was time.

Karina opened the door of the changing room and began walking towards where Clint had said the jet was. As she walked, she got several weird looks from the agents milling about but ignored them. Karina glanced to her left and saw Natasha emerge and join her. The redhead nodded at the goddess as they turned a corner and found themselves at the entrance to the hanger.

As they walked up to the jet, Steve and Clint joined them and together the four 'Avengers' walked on to the jet. Karina looked around in awe at how many different buttons and lights were on the jet and how every single one appeared to do a different thing. Her eyes strayed to the engineer crouching on the floor in the corner of the jet and she watched as he stood up, eyes wide at the fact Captain America was in front of him.

"Hey, you guys aren't authorized to be in here," an engineer said, standing in front of them. It was obvious that he was in shock at the group in front of him and Karina had to hide a smile at his expression.

"Son, just don't," Steve said. The engineer gulped, eyes widening when he saw Clint and Natasha standing on the ramp. He picked his toolbox up and slowly walked off the jet, glancing back every so often as he did.

"Son?" Karina questioned as Clint fired up the jet.

"It's a thing," Steve responded as they buckled themselves in.

"Yeah," Natasha muttered, "if we were in the forties." Karina snickered, a smirk on her face at Steve's sigh of exasperation.

"Just fly the damn jet," he muttered, glaring at Karina when she mock saluted him.

* * *

Karina stood in the cockpit of the jet, staring out the front, as they flew towards Stark Tower The outskirts of the city looked relatively safe, but as they got close to the tower, the full scale of what was happening became clear.

"Oh my god," Karina whispered as she got her first look at the portal shooting up into the sky.

"Stark," Natasha said into her headset, "we're on a three heading northeast."

"What, did you stop for drive-thru?" Tony questioned and Karina could faintly hear the sound of his repulsors firing, "Swing that park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."

"Is that my brother?" Karina questioned, looking to the roof of the tower. Clint steered the jet slightly closer to the tower and Karina gasped. "Oh, you've got to be joking," she muttered when she saw both her brother's in full battle gear.

"Nat!" Clint exclaimed, following Karina's eye line to where the two gods were.

"I see 'em," Natasha replied, aiming the jets guns at the two gods. Karina swore under her breath when Loki looked up, spotting them and the jet. He threw Thor to the ground and picked up his sceptre, firing it at the wing of the jet. Karina immediately grabbed on to the wall of the jet, holding on as the jet spun out of control.

Karina groaned as the jet smashed into the ground, the jet scraping along the pavement before coming to a stop in front of a tree, creaking as it finally stopped moving.

"We've got to get back up there," Steve stated, running out of the jet, Karina and the two assassins following. "Karina?" Karina shook her head in response to the unspoken question

"I can't …fly…" She trailed off, staring up at the sky as a giant, armoured, Leviathan flew through the portal. She unsheathed her sword, gripping it tightly in her hand as it crashed through an office building, sending rubble falling to the ground. Karina could only watch as more and more Chitauri jumped out of the Leviathan, landing on the side of buildings and statues.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve asked Tony through the comms.

"Seeing, still working on believing," Tony replied, his voice crackling slightly. "Where's Banner, has he shown up yet?"

"Banner?" Steve questioned, frowning.

"Just keep me posted," Tony replied as he flew past, firing at a Chitauri on the wall of a nearby building. "Karina? You fancy a ride up to your delightful brothers?"

Karina looked up at the Tower, her face turning from one of concern to annoyance when she saw Loki stab Thor, the former jumping off the tower and onto a nearby Chitauri craft. "Nah, I'll stay down here, I've got a better chance at hitting him from here."

"Roger that," Tony replied, shooting off to the portal. Karina followed after Steve as he led them towards the main battle. The four of them jumped behind an upturned taxi cab as a nearby Chitauri craft started firing at them. Karina growled, summoning her magic, grabbing hold of the warrior and tearing him apart, throwing his body into the wall of what looked to be a pizzeria.

"Damn," Clint whispered, eyes wide. "I do not want to be on the wrong side of you."

Karina huffed, ducking when another Chitauri flew straight over their heads. "Civilians," she stated, nodding down the street.

"Is that?" Natasha pointed above them as yet another Chitauri craft flew past, except this time Loki was onboard.

"Loki," Karina and Steve said together. They watched as he blew up a broken hot-dog stand, the explosions sending the civilians running towards the main battle.

"They're fish in a barrel down there," Steve stated as Natasha stood up and fired both her guns and the Chitauri advancing on them from the other side of the cab.

"Go," Natasha said, hitting a Chitauri right in the face, "we've got this."

"You think you can hold them off?" Steve questioned, looking around at how many aliens there were.

"Captain," Clint said, loading up his bow, "it'll be my pleasure." Karina couldn't hide her smirk as Clint fired an arrow at a nearby alien, landing directly in the middle of its forehead. The arrow then separated into three more arrows, killing an extra three Chitauri. Karina launched herself over the taxi, landing directly in front of an advancing Chitauri. She brought her sword down on its head, decapitating it as Steve ran off towards the civilians down the other end of the street. Karina grunted as she sliced another alien in half, using her magic to rip another two into pieces, throwing them over the bridge.

"Just like Budapest all over again!" Natasha exclaimed, firing her guns at the aliens from behind the taxi.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently," Clint replied, releasing another arrow as Karina roundhouse kicked another Chitauri warrior.

"What on Earth is Budapest?" She questioned, ducking to avoid a blast from the Chitauri weapon.

"A mission we went on together," Natasha replied, throwing one of her empty guns to the side, "certainly one of the more interesting ones."

"You'll have to explain it to me sometime," Karina replied, groaning as she was tackled to the ground. She brought her leg up and kicked the alien in the back, grabbing her sword and bringing it down on its legs, severing it in two. "I hate these things," she panted, pushing the stray hairs off her forehead.

"Karina." The goddess jumped when Tony's voice suddenly came through into her ear. "You busy?"

"Uh, I can make myself not busy," she replied, kicking a Chitauri to the ground and stabbing it with her sword. "Why?"

"I need you to do a thing for me," Tony replied, groaning when he saw he was being chased by a group of flying Chitauri. "I need a massive blast of your purple awesomeness to get rid of this lot following me." Karina looked down the street and saw Tony flying towards her, at least twenty Chitauri following. "Ready?"

"I don't really have much choice," she yelled as she jumped over an abandoned car and ran towards him. She stopped in the middle of the bridge, throwing her sword to the side as Tony approached. Flexing her fingers, Karina willed her magic to her hands, her eyes glowing purple as it roared up to meet her command.

"When?" Tony asked, firing his repulsor's at the alien that was sneaking up behind Karina.

"Now!" Karina yelled, feeling her magic scream at her. Tony flew down, the Chitauri following, before banking a sharp left. The Chitauri barley had to time to register the change in direction when Karina threw her magic at them, ripping apart every single alien in the cluster. She slid back as her magic exploded, a shockwave rippling over the city. A cloud of dust flew up as she dropped the mangled remains of the aliens to the floor, her knees giving way as she sank to the floor.

"How was that?" She asked, panting slightly from how much magic she just used.

"Karina, I could kiss you," Tony replied, flying up to the portal. "And if we weren't in the middle of a battle, I just might."

Karina chuckled, grabbing her sword and using it to push herself upright. She let out a big sigh as more aliens walked towards her. "How many of these things are there?" She mumbled, raising her sword as the first alien attacked. She met its metal arm with her sword, the clang ringing out across the bridge. Karina could see another five aliens advancing towards her from behind and spun on her knees, taking them all out with a swipe to their knees. They all shrieked as they fell to the floor and Karina silenced them with a blast of her magic.

Karina groaned as she stood up straight, brushing her hair back off her sweaty face and untangling a knot. Suddenly, a Chitauri snuck up behind her, shooting her in the side with its weapon. Karina yelped, falling to the ground as she tried to take the alien down when out of nowhere, Steve appeared, tackling the alien to the floor and smashing its face with his shield. Karina sighed in relief, her head falling back on to the dust covered ground as she tried to get her breath back.

"You alright?" He asked, walking up to her and holding out his hand. Karina nodded, pushing herself up and taking Steve's outreached hand.

"Thanks," she breathed, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath back. Karina glanced over her shoulder at where Natasha and Clint were still fighting a swarm of Chitauri.

"We'd better go help," Steve said, putting his shield on his arm.

"Do we have to?" Karina muttered as they ran up to the assassins. Karina jumped on to the roof of a car, jumping off and tackling one of the many aliens to the floor, stabbing it in the chest with her sword. As she stood up, lightning cracked across the sky, killing the two Chitauri sneaking up on Clint and Karina. Thor landed, stumbling slightly as he did so. Karina ran up to her brother, hugging him tightly as he took in the chaos around them.

"I'm fine," he whispered, hand in her hair. Karina nodded, taking a step back and dragging a hand through her ruined braid.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked, eyes darting around as he checked for more aliens.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," Thor replied, watching as his sister picked up her sword and cleaned it on her pant leg.

"Thor's right," Tony said, voice crackling over the ear piece, "we've got to deal with these guys."

"How do we do this?" Natasha asked, glancing at Steve.

"As a team," he replied.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor said, glancing up at the tower as he spoke.

"Don't we all," Karina replied as she ripped another alien apart, throwing its remains over the bridge.

"Save it," Steve said, walking forward so that the gather superheroes could see him. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us to – "Steve trailed off as the sound of a motorbike approached. Karina's eyes widened when she Banner sitting atop the motorbike, looking a little worse for wear.

"So, this all seems horrible," he stated as he dismounted and looked around.

"I've seen worse," Natasha replied, glancing down at a disembodied alien at her feet.

"Sorry," Banner replied quietly, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"No, we could use a little worse," Natasha amended, a smile on her lips. Karina nodded at the doctor, as she moved to stand next to her brother.

"Stark, we got him," Steve said into his earpiece as an explosion occurred somewhere behind them.

"Banner?" Tony's voice queried over the comms, a roar just distinguishable behind him.

"Just like you said."

"Then tell him to suit up," Tony replied. "I'm bringing the party to you."

There was an almighty crash as Tony rounded the corner, flying towards them with a Leviathan right behind him. It's wings smashed into the windows of the office blocks either side and as Tony led it lower to the ground it knocked over a few cars. Karina heard Thor growl beside her, excited at the ongoing fight.

"I don't see how that's a party," Natasha stated, staring at the giant creature as it got closer.

"Well, both events usually end in pain," Karina replied, feeling her magic sparking at her fingers.

"Doctor Banner," Steve said as the man began walking towards the Leviathan, "now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Cap," Bruce said, a hint of a smile on his face. "I'm always angry."

Karina felt her eyes widen in shock as Banner transformed seamlessly into the Hulk right before her. It wasn't like it'd been on the Helicarrier, this was controlled. Man, and monster working as one. The Hulk roared, punching the Leviathan and smashing it into the ground. Karina took a step back as the creature began to topple over, it's tail heading straight towards the gathered heroes.

"Hold on!" Tony yelled, firing a missile into the flesh of the Leviathan. Karina ducked behind a taxi, falling into Clint as they both shielded themselves from the explosion as the Leviathan skidded to a holt behind them. As the explosion died out, Karina stood up and moved to stand next to Thor and Natasha, sword in hand, a purple glow surrounding her. Natasha smirked as she loaded her gun, aiming it at the sky as the Hulk roared, Tony hovering just above the circle they'd all gathered into.

The Avengers, together at last.

The Chitauri all let out an ear-piercing scream, challenging them to fight as they surveyed the destroyed Leviathan. Karina felt a swell of pride and hope inside her as she looked around at the people she was fighting alongside. Maybe they could do this. Maybe they could save the world from her mad brother.

"Guys," Natasha warned as more Chitauri flew through the portal, landing on the walls of the skyscrapers. Karina looked around and finally registered just how much of a mess they'd made trying to save the city. Piles of rubble littered the bridge they were standing on and a nearby car was on fire, the flames eating up the dirt. Dust floated around the air and there were screams and sirens coming from further down the street. It was a mess, but at least they were alive.

"Call it, Captain," Tony said, landing on the ground with a thud.

"Alight, listen up." Karina turned to face him, sword in hand. "Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna need to contain it, Barton," Steve said, turning to face Clint as he spoke, "I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out any patterns and strays." Clint nodded as he picked up a stray arrow from the floor. "Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

"You wanna give me a lift?" Clint asked as Tony readied himself.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas," Tony replied, grabbing Clint and flying off.

"What's a Legolas?" Karina asked quietly, her only answer being Natasha's laugh.

"Thor," Steve turned to Thor, the God glancing up at the portal before looking at Steve, "you gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow 'em down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up." Thor nodded, glancing at his sister before he spun his hammer and flew off. Steve turned to the remaining two Avengers, "we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here." Karina nodded, willing her last remnants of magic up and to her fingers.

"You good?" Natasha asked as Steve ordered the Hulk to smash.

"Ahuh," Karina replied, nodding as she walked down the bridge and towards the next wave of aliens. "Just trying not to burn my magic out. It'll be fine," she said, waving off Natasha's glance of concern. "I hope," Karina muttered to herself as she watched the alien's charge towards her. She let out a sigh, raising her sword high in the sky, bringing it down on the first alien that approached them, slicing its head off with one stroke. The next alien fell to a roundhouse kick to the legs and a blast of magic that tore it – and the other five behind it – to pieces.

"Karina."

"Clint, how can I help you?" Karina asked, grunting as she stabbed another alien in the gut.

"You've got a whole legion heading your way," the archer responded. Karina paused in her fighting to look down the street.

"You have got to be kidding," she replied, using a quick blast of her magic to get rid of the remaining aliens gathered in front of her. "Hey, Thor."

"Yes?" Thor's voice sounded through her ear, along with a loud roar from the hulk.

"You fancy coming down here and helping?" Karina elbowed a Chitauri in the face, slicing it in half with her sword.

"Oh, this should be good," Tony's voice came through the earpiece and Karina huffed, rolling her eyes. A second later, Thor landed next to her, sweat glistening on his face as he turned to face her.

"How was your chat with our brother?" Karina asked as they walked towards the legion that was approaching.

"He stabbed me, again," Thor replied as they came to a stop in front of a burnt-out taxi.

"Did you learn nothing from last time?" Karina asked, twirling her sword in her hand.

"Wait, hang on, what does Point-Break mean by 'again'?" Tony asked, the distinct sound of glass smashing clear in the background.

"Well, when we were children," Karina began a smirk on her face at Thor's expression. Suddenly, a loud roar – that wasn't the hulk – echoed around the street. "I'll tell you later," Karina said hurriedly as a Leviathan joined the legion advancing towards them. She glanced to her brother, nodding at his silent question. Together, the siblings walked forwards, Karina dragging as much of her magic as she dared to her fingers, feeling the purple fire running down her veins. Thor raised his hammer to the sky, the clouds darkening as the lightning rained down, striking his hammer. They waited until the legion and the Leviathan were practically on top of them before they aimed their powers at the aliens.

Purple fire met pure lightning as the two powers met. The aliens shrieked as they were hit by the pure electricity and fire, their metal armour melting under the heat. A loud explosion rocketed into the sky from where the legion and Leviathan were and Karina ducked, shielding her eyes from the brightness of the explosion. Thor stood over her, also shielding his eyes as the explosion died down leaving behind a pile of melted metal. The siblings stood up, breathing heavily as they surveyed the damage.

"Wowza," Tony said after a beat of silence.

"Don't get too excited," Karina replied as she glanced behind her and saw Natasha struggling to fend off another two aliens and ran to help, "that portal's still open."

"On it," Thor replied, spinning his hammer and flying off. Karina fell to her knees, skidding along the floor as she sliced the legs off the alien about to attack Natasha, spinning and stabbing it in the chest.

"Thanks," Natasha panted, wincing as she stood up. There was a thud behind the two women and both spun round, weapons aimed, sighing when they realised it was just Steve. Karina sighed, leaning against a car as she tried to find the last of her energy to keep fighting.

"Cap, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal," Natasha stated, looking up at where the hole in the sky was.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it," Steve replied, following her line of sight.

"Well, maybe it's not about guns." Karina glanced at the woman as she caught on to what Natasha was implying.

"If you wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride," Steve said, looking at the assassin.

Natasha looked up, eyes widening when she was a Chitauri craft flying past them. She began walking to the other side of the bridge, looking behind her as another craft flew past.

"I got a ride. I could use a boost though," she responded.

Karina and Steve shared a look, the former shrugging in response. "You sure about this?" Steve asked as he held his shield out in front of him, Karina's hands glowing purple as she readied to boost Natasha on to the craft.

"Yeah, it's gonna be fun," Natasha replied, picking a craft as it flew towards them. She ran towards them, jumping onto the shield. Karina pushed Natasha into the air with her magic as Steve launched her into the air. Natasha grabbed onto a passing craft, pulling herself on to the back of it as it flew away.

"Well, that worked," Karina muttered, picking up her sword from where she'd left it embedded inside the alien.

"Cap, the bank on 42nd, past Madison. They've cornered a lot of civilians in there," Clint said over the earpiece.

"Go," Karina said, "I'll manage."

Steve nodded at her, running off towards the bank. Karina sighed, twirling her sword in her hand as she readied herself for the next wave.

"Let's do this," Karina muttered, pulling the very last of her power to the surface and running towards the incoming aliens.

* * *

 **A/N: I do love writing fight scenes, especially with Karina and her awesome purpleness. I made the mistake of listening to The Battle of Yorktown whilst editing this and, wow, it goes really well!**

 **PSA: Umbrella Acadmey is awesome! Everyone should watch it!**

 **Until next time, lovely readers!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hellooooo lovely, lovely readers! I'm back with a new chapter (most of which was written in my car in my way up to Scotland) which takes us close to the end of Avengers!**

 **Speaking of Avengers - Those new posters have me dead. I am so happy Valkyrie is still alive**

* * *

"We can't keep doing this," Karina said after a while, ducking as a blast from a gunshot over her head, "even I'm beginning to tire. We need a –" Karina yelled as an alien tackled her off the bridge, sending her through the air. For a second, everything was calm. Until Karina landed on the side of an overturned bus, broken glass and bent metal digging into her legs and back. Her sword laid sprawled several feet away and her magic was fading, the sparks no longer there when she called. Karina wheezed as she tried to get the air back into her lungs, unable to move from shock.

"- _ria? Karina_!"

Slowly, Karina lifted a hand to her ear, pressing the earpiece back into place. "Yeah?" She coughed, wincing as her head exploded with pain.

" _You good_?" Tony asked, the distinct sound of his repulsors blasting following his words.

Karina took a deep breath in as she tried to sit up. "I – I don't." Karina cried out as a bolt of pain shot through her body. Looking down she could see a rather large piece of glass sticking out of her calf, blood soaking through her pant leg and onto the bus. "Motherfucker," she growled, lying back on the bus with a thud.

" _Language_ ," Steve chastised the scolding tone lost due to the concern that was evident in his voice.

" _Ria, talk to me_ ," Tony called as said woman sat up, shaking hands hovering over the piece of glass stuck in her calf. She knew it was a bad idea to pull it out, but today was already full of bad decisions – why not add one more to the mix? Ignoring the voices calling her name, Karina gripped the piece of glass in her right hand and gave it an experimental tuck, gasping in pain as it moved slightly.

"You can do this," Karina muttered, panting as she readied herself. "It's fine." Taking a deep breath in, closing her eyes for a second, she pulled the glass out of her leg, screaming as pain shot through her body. Falling back onto the bus, she threw the glass to one side, clenching her fists tightly as she breathed through the pain.

" _Karina_!" Clint yelled; his tone far more worried than anything else.

"Hang on," she replied, forcing herself upright. She stumbled as New York spun and spots filled her vision, but she carried on, jumping down off the bus and towards her abandoned sword. She spotted the alien that had tackled her off the bridge standing by a squashed hot dog cart and picked up her pace, clenching her teeth as the pain in her leg got worse.

"Just a little bit more," Karina whispered, feeling her magic draining as she tried to summon it, "please."

The alien saw Karina running towards it and smirked, ordering the aliens around him to aim at her, readying their weapons as the goddess charged towards them. Karina bent down and grabbed her sword as she ran past, the concerned voices of her teammates and the explosion occurring behind her becoming white noise as her eyes narrowed. A purple hue surrounded her as she ran, the colour becoming brighter and more violent the closer she got to the alien.

" _What the hell is she doing_?" Thor demanded as he watched his sister from the rooftop he'd crashed on to.

Karina took a deep breath in aliens neared, feeling her and her power becoming one as she launched herself at the aliens, smashing her sword into the ground as she landed.

There was a deafening screech as Karina's powers met the aliens that had surrounded her, melting their armour and killing them all. As Karina's powers reached burnout, there was a monstrous explosion, a purple mushroom cloud spiralling into the sky as Karina fell to her knees, dead Chitauri surrounding her.

" _Ria_?" Clint's voice was so quiet that she nearly missed it over the roaring in her ears.

"I'm good," she panted, squeezing her eyes shut. "I've got nothing left, however. I'm out."

" _You did good,"_ Thor said gently, and Karina felt a smile overtake her face as she sat back on her haunches and panted. She wiped the hair out of her eyes, rubbing her face furiously as she laughed.

She vaguely heard Hulk roaring from a distant building as she stood up, leaning heavily on her sword.

" _So_ ," Tony drawled, and Karina knew there was a smirk on his face, " _Hulk just smashed your brother into my floor_."

"Serves him right," Karina muttered, hobbling down the road as she tried to figure out where to go next. Her question was answered when she turned the corner and saw her brother and Steve surrounded by Chitauri, the latter looking exhausted. Cursing her injured leg, Karina approached the duo as a Chitauri shot Steve in the ribs, sending the soldier crumpling to the floor.

In response, Thor threw a car at the gathered aliens, a spurt of lightning following as he sent his hammer flying through the group. Karina stumbled to her knees next to Steve, her sword skittering away, and placed a hand on his arm as he grunted in pain.

"Steve?" Karina questioned softly, her eyes watching him as he struggled to stand. Thor walked over to them holding his hand out to Steve.

"I'm good," he muttered, excepting Thor's outstretched hand. Steve grunted as he stood, holding a hand to his ribs as he gathered himself.

"Are you ready for another bout?" Thor asked, looking around to make sure there weren't any aliens about to attack them.

"What? You gettin' sleepy?" Steve quipped electing a chuckle from Karina who was still on her knees. Thor glanced down at his sister, worry written on his face as he held out his hands for her. Summoning whatever strength was left in her body, Karina took her brother's hands, stumbling to her feet as he pulled her up. She instantly began to sway, and Thor put a hand around her waist, his grip tightening when she put her injured leg down and yelped in pain.

"We can't do this for much longer," Thor said quietly, his thumb rubbing the back of his sister's hand as she tried to ignore the pain radiating from her leg.

" _I can close it_." All three Avengers jumped as Natasha's voice came through their earpieces. " _Does anybody copy? I can close the portal_."

"Do it," Steve ordered, pain all but forgotten at the prospect of being able to stop this battle.

" _No, wait_ ," Tony called, and Karina frowned, wondering what he was doing.

"Stark these things are still incoming," Steve yelled, glaring at where the billionaire was currently flying.

" _I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute_ ," Tony replied, his voice crackling through the earpiece. " _And I know just where to put it."_

"Stark," Steve said softly, "you know that's a one-way trip." Tony didn't reply and Karina vaguely heard the sound of his suit given it one final push.

"Tony," Karina said quietly, stumbling away from Thor, "do you need me?"

"Nah, you're drained, Ria," Tony replied as he flew over her head. Her eyes followed him as he flew directly towards the portal, pushing the nuke.

"I've always got more to give," Karina replied, her eyes never leaving the man in the sky.

Tony sighed, unsure. "If you're sure," he said eventually, his metal suit getting further and further away. Karina shook her hands, willingly the last of her magic to the surface and up to Tony as flew to the portal. Karina gently guided her magic up to tony and the purple mist quickly wafted up to the suit, melding with the thrusters as Tony entered the portal, giving him one final push.

Willingly all her remaining energy and magic, Karina pushed Tony towards the Chitauri ship, her knees giving way as she completely drained herself. Thor and Steve both caught her as all three of them watched Tony disappear into the portal.

Karina felt like an eternity passed as they watched the Chitauri ship exploded, killing all the remaining soldiers on Earth and waited for Tony to re-appear.

He didn't.

Steve sighed, hanging his head as he spoke. "Close it." Karina felt a wave of sorrow hit her as she realised that Tony, a man she'd known for less than a week but considered a friend, was lost to the hell that was space. She felt her shoulders sag under the grief of yet another dea-

"Son of a gun."

Karina's head shot up, her eyes widening as she saw Tony fall from the portal, only just making it out as it shut behind him.

"Holy shit," Karina whispered, the hand gripping Thor's arm tightening its hold in shock.

"He's not slowing down," Thor exclaimed, swinging his hammer to catch the falling man. There was a loud roar and Hulk appeared from nowhere, launching himself into the air and catching Tony as he fell. The two crashed to the pavement together and Hulk pushed Tony's unconscious body off him.

Karina hobbled over to Tony, falling to her knees next to him as Steve ripped off his faceplate. The hope which had built up inside her died at Steve's grim expression and she looked up at him, the sadness in his eyes confirming what she already knew.

Hulk let out a roar of anger, the sound deafening Karina for a second. Suddenly, Tony let out a loud gasp, startling the group surrounding him. Karina's mouth fell open as she sat down, her injured leg outstretched before her, as she took in the sight of a very much alive Tony Stark.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed, looking around in shock, "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me," he paused, looking at the battle-weary Karina, "unless it was Ria."

Karina let out a breathless chuckle, leaning back on her hands as the victory sunk in.

"We won," Steve stated quietly, a surprised smile on his face.

"Alright, hey, good job guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow," Tony said, and Karina chuckled, wiping the hair out of her face, "Let's just take a day. You ever tried shawarma? There's shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it." Karina giggled, smiling at Tony as sighed.

"We're not finished yet," Thor reminded them, looking up at Stark Tower.

"And then Shawarma after?" Tony asked, glancing between the odd group. Karina chuckled, sitting forward and untying her hair from the remains of what was a braid.

"Barton, Romanoff," Steve called as Tony stumbled to his feet, "you ok?"

"We're fine," Clint replied, "I'm heading your way now." Karina looked down the street and saw Clint running towards them, a few cuts and bruises on him and she smiled as he reached the group.

"Natasha?"

"I'm at the tower, I'll meet you at the bottom."

"Hey, Tony," Karina called as Thor and Clint helped her to her feet. "I don't suppose your elevator is still working?"

"I really hope it is, Ria," Tony said, putting an arm around her shoulders as they began to walk – or hobble - back to the tower, "I really hope it is."

* * *

Loki groaned as he finally crawled out of the hole, Hulk had thrown him into. He winced as he dragged himself over a step, freezing when he realised he wasn't alone anymore. Slowly, he turned around, sighing slightly at the sight before him.

The Avengers were gathered in front of him, Barton aiming an arrow at his head, Romanoff holding his sceptre, Stark, Rogers and Thor were all glaring at him, and the Hulk stood behind them all, a low growl emitting when Loki glanced at him. Loki's eyes strayed to where Karina stood next to Natasha, her sword aimed at Loki's chest. His eyes raked her body for injuries, feeling the sense of panic that had built up inside him disappear when he saw that, other than her leg, she was fine.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now," Loki joked, and he could've sworn that Stark smirked at his words.

* * *

It wasn't long after they'd confronted Loki that SHIELD agents had swarmed the tower, handcuffing Loki and whisking him away back to the helicarrier. Bruce had eventually turned back, and Tony kindly leant him some spare clothes to wear. Karina was mightily impressed that the shawarma restaurant was actually open when the seven of them turned up at its doorstep an hour later. She was even more impressed when the waitress came over, seated them at the only table that wasn't broke and took their order.

Karina sat down in-between Steve and Thor, resting her injured leg on the super soldiers' chair as they waited for their food. She glanced up at Tony, smiling at the man when he met her gaze. The adrenaline had gone from every single one of them and all that was left was exhaustion and pain.

"You're all welcome to crash at the tower tonight," Tony said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Or for as long as you need."

"Thanks," Clint said as their food arrived. Karina sighed, imagining how it was going to feel crawling into a bed that night and sleeping. Her mouth began to water as the smell of chicken and beef reached her nose and she suddenly realised just how hungry she was.

It turned out that shawarma was actually really good.

* * *

CNN reporter: "After much speculation, we can now confirm that this _was_ an extraterrestrial attack on Midtown Manhattan. It is unknown how many people are dead or missing but the number is thought to be in the thousands with that estimate expected to rise as the clean-up operation begins. The clean-up, led by billionaire Tony Stark, is expected to cost upwards of a billion dollars and is set on ensuring any businesses affected by this attack are re-paid and supported through this ordeal.

"We are still unsure as to who exactly formed the team that defended Manhattan, the only confirmed member being Tony Stark's Iron Man. Some people have reported seeing Captain Steve Rogers fighting with other reports stating that Thor and Karina Odinson were spotted in the thick of the battle."

"Thank you, Sam. Sam Worthall reporting there live from Midtown Manhattan. Whilst the details coming in are still unclear, we can confirm that the President has called a State of Emergency in the New York area and that anyone worried about a family member or friend should call the helpline displayed at the bottom of your screens. This is really quite an event, Sarah."

"Yeah, it really is, Harry. This event confirms the long-held idea that we are not alone in the world. It also brings up the question of where do we go from here? I know that I'll certainly sleep easy knowing that this group, being dubbed in the news as the 'Avengers', will be defending our planet for many years to come."

* * *

 _#thankyouavengers_

* * *

 _6_ _th_ _May 2011_

Karina sighed as she rolled over, pulling the duvet up to her shoulders as she relished the warmth. She couldn't believe that twelve hours ago she was fighting in the streets of Manhattan and now she was curled up in bed in Stark Tower, the sun peeking through the curtains. A smile formed on Karina's face as she untangled herself from the sheets and padded over to the window, watching Manhattan carry on as normal. A large memorial had been set up outside Grand Central Station for those who'd lost their lives in the battle and it was growing by the hour. No matter what people told her, Karina still felt a sense of guilt over the events, knowing that even if it wasn't solely her actions, she was to blame for what happened. Loki was her brother and she'd let him down when he'd needed her most and the consequence was this.

"Miss Odinson."

Karina jumped at the disembodied voice, looking up at the ceiling even though she knew there was no point in doing so. When Tony had first introduced JARVIS, Karina had freaked out, trying to pretend that the weird AI didn't exist. It wasn't until she'd been standing in the en-suite of her guest room that she'd acknowledge the voice in the walls, asking for his help in figuring out _how on earth this thing worked, goddamn you Tony._

"Hi, JARVIS," Karina said, crossing her arms as she tried to ignore the odd feeling she still had talking to the AI.

"Your presence is required in the meeting room on the 6th floor. Director Fury and the Governor for New York Neil Kimball are here."

"I'll be there in a minute," Karina replied. Groaning as she stretched her exhausted limbs, Karina headed over to the closet where she'd abandoned her armour the night before. Tony had given her a few items of clothing to wear and she pulled out a deep green t-shirt, black leggings and a grey cardigan, slipping her feet into a pair of brown boots she'd found.

Karina sighed as she attempted to run a brush through her tangled hair, wincing as it pulled on the knots and tangles. It'd taken her an hour to wash all the blood and dirt off her body and despite the extensive shower, she was still finding bits of dust in her hair.

"6th floor," Karina muttered as she threw her hair into a bun and began the walk to the elevator. "Meeting room, 6th floor." The elevator binged as it arrived on her floor and Karina hesitantly stepped inside, still untrusting of the weird technology. She may have read countless books on the world, but Midgard was still weird. Her eyes scanned the many buttons on the panel, and she let out a triumph 'a-ha' when she found the button for the 6th floor.

Karina pursed her lips, tapping her foot to the elevator music, as she waited for it to arrive on the 6th floor. It didn't take long and a _ping_ emitted from the speakers as the doors slid open and Karina emerged on the 6th floor. She looked around hopelessly, no idea where she was or where she was going.

"The meeting room is to your left and through the double glass doors, Miss Odinson," JARVIS said, and Karina nodded, turning and walking that way. As she pushed open the doors, Tony's voice reached her ears and she followed the sound to the meeting room, slipping inside and taking the empty seat next to Natasha. The red-headed nodded at her, arms crossed, as the Governor of New York continued speaking.

"And what of the Tesseract?" Fury asked arms crossed as he stared down the team in front of him.

"It belongs on Asgard," Thor said, sitting up in his seat and staring down Fury.

"What my brother means," Karina jumped in, sitting forward, making eye contact with Fury as she spoke, "is that we will take it and Loki with us back to Asgard."

"And how do we know that you won't use it to attack us again?" Kimball asked.

"Did we, or did we not, just stop an invasion?" Karina asked, raising an eyebrow. "Believe me, if we wanted to attack you, we would've done it by now." The Governor sighed impatiently, and Karina resisted the urge to punch him. "The only thing we will use the Tesseract for is to repair the Bifrost. Once that is done, it will be placed in the Vault where it won't be touched for centuries to come."

"And Loki?"

"Loki will most likely be arrested and placed in the dungeons for the rest of his life." Karina sighed, cracking her knuckles as she leant back in her chair. "He won't be any more trouble."

"He shouldn't have been trouble in the first place," Kimball muttered, and Karina rolled her eyes, ignoring the comment. "When?"

"Today," Thor said, hammer on the table in front of him. "We don't want to cause any more trouble."

"Oh, I think you've caused more than enough trouble," Kimball glowered, a muscle in his jaw jumping as he ground his teeth. He stood up, straightening his suit as he held out a hand to Fury. "I'll be in touch."

"Well," Tony said once the man had left, "he was a delight."

A snort from Karina made everyone in the room staring at her, the goddess smirking at their faces as she shifted in her seat. "That's an understatement if ever I heard one," she replied, and Tony chuckled.

"Thor, Karina," Fury called, drawing the attention back to the meeting, "what do we do if we need you again? I assumed mobile phones wouldn't work."

"Yell," Karina supplied, rubbing the back of her neck. "That works the majority of the time."

"Yell." Fury's one eye glared at them. "Into thin air?"

"Well, we could give you a magical bell to ring," Karins quipped, laughing when Fury's scowl deepened. "Seriously, though, just yell and we – and by that, I mean me – will come."

"You'd better," Clint said, eyeing the goddess, "you were fucking amazing. I could learn a thing or two from you."

"Don't tell her that." Thor stood up, his chair creaking and grabbed his hammer. "Her head's already big enough."

"Hey!" Karina yelled, standing up and chasing after her brother as he disappeared around the corner. Steve chuckled watching the siblings disappear, before turning his attention back to the intimidating man in front of him.

"Central Park, three hours," Fury said. Taking that as a dismissal, the group got up and left the meeting room, following after the mythical siblings. Sighing, Fury followed after the mismatched group, coat trailing behind him.

"Karina," Fury called as he strolled into the kitchen/lounge. Karina looked up from the sofa she'd sat down on, unfolding herself and walking over to him.

"S'up."

"Since the yelling isn't exactly…ideal," Fury said, pulling something out of his pocket, "I think this will work better."

Karina took the object, turning it over in her hand. "What is it?"

"A pager," Fury replied, crossing his arms. "I have the other one and should I need you, I press this button," he pressed a button on the top of the pager, and it lit up purple, "and it calls your pager."

Karina looked down and saw that her pager had lit up purple with a sword symbol in the middle. "And you're sure this will work in Asgard?"

"It worked the last time I had an out of town guest," Fury replied, a fond smile on his face.

"Thank you," Karina said, pocketing the pager. "I'm sorry for all this," she added, waving an arm around.

"It's not your fault. From what I can tell, you're doing a pretty good job at keeping them in check." Fury's phone started beeping and Karina smiled as the Director walked off to deal with whatever was awaiting him.

"Hey, Ria," Clint called, waving a hand at her, "have you ever had tacos?"

"What in the nine realms is a taco?"

* * *

 _6_ _th_ _May 2011_

Karina sighed sadly as she finished hugging Tony, the billionaire looking equally as sad that she was leaving. The group had assembled on the bridge in Central Park, Thor and Karina dressed in their armour, as they readied themselves to head home.

"Here," Karina said, fishing around in her pocket. She eventually pulled out a second pager and handed it to Tony. "I've got one and Fury's got one. It saves you having to yell at the sky." She chuckled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"This is _old_ ," Tony moaned, examining the pager like a child. "Christ, does this thing still work?"

"Yes, yes, it does, Tony. And no messing with it," she added when an excited gleam came into his eyes.

"Not even a little bit?" Tony sulked, smiling sweetly at the goddess. "Fine," he grumbled when Karina shook her head.

"Fury said it worked for the last out of town guest he had, so," she shrugged, "why won't it work for me." She leant in closer to Tony, dropping her voice to a whisper, "but don't let anyone else know about it. _Emergencies only_."

"Emergencies only," Tony repeated, pocketing the pager and given Karina a smile.

"Karina." She turned around and saw Thor gesturing to her and sighed. _Back home we go_. Spinning on her heel, she walked over to Thor, looping her arm through his. Karina looked to Loki, giving him a small, half-smile. Looking around at the misfit group they'd become, Karina felt a sense of pride. And as Thor twisted the cylinder holding the Tesseract, she gave the team one last smile before her vision was obscured by the blue light and she disappeared from Central Park.

For a minute, her vision was just blue with hints of red and green. Despite the numerous times, she'd travelled using the Bifrost, it still left her feeling discombobulated, as if she'd been thrown from her body. Her knees jolted as she finally landed on solid ground and Karina stumbled forward, skidding to a holt in the middle of the bridge.

"Thor, Karina," Heimdall greeted and stepping forward to greet them. "Loki."

Loki grunted in response, his muzzle silencing any attempt at speaking, and glowered at the floor, refusing to look any of them in the eye. Karina sighed quietly, cracking her knuckles as Heimdall gestured for them to begin the long walk down the bridge towards the capital.

"You're to take him to the dungeons and then meet the AllFather in the throne room," Heimdall said, as they walked. Thor pushed Loki ahead of him, Karina following a step behind. No one said anything as they walked down the bridge, their footsteps and the sound of Loki's chains jangling occasionally breaking the uncomfortable silence. They were met at the end of the bridge by a small legion of Asgard guards and Loki was grabbed by two guards either side and forced into the middle of the legion. As he was marched off to the dungeons, Karina saw him take a fleeting look back at her as Thor took her arm and led her towards the citadel.

* * *

"You've done well."

Odin sat on his throne, one hand resting on his staff, as he observed the two children kneeling in front of him.

"We had help." Thor was kneeling to Karina's left and was probably more aware of what was happening than she was. The only thing she wanted at the moment was to give her mother a hug and sleep for days.

"I trust there were no issues," Odin said, his one eye fixed on Thor as he spoke.

"None," Thor replied, "we have the Tesseract, Midgard is safe – "

"For now," Karina added, speaking for the first time. Odin turned to look at her and Karina sighed. "This victory is a sign to the other realms that Earth is ready for a higher form of war. There's no telling what beings will attack them next – we only _just_ won."

"What are you suggesting?"

Karina licked her lips nervously. "I'm saying that once we've mended the bridge, secured the nine realms and made sure our city and people are safe, we go back to Earth and help defend it."

Odin stared at his daughter, his one eye unwavering as he thought over the proposal. "Ok."

Karina did a double take, her eyes widening at her father's words. "Ok?"

"By defending Midgard, you'll be sending a message to the rest of the universe that Asgard's future King and Crown Princess are not to be crossed. That they will defend, and they will win."

"Thank you, father," Karina replied, bowing her head.

"Are you done interrogating them yet?"

Karina's face lit up, a smile forming, as her mother walked into the room. Odin gave Karina a small nod and the goddess stood up, almost running to her mother. Frigga chuckled as her daughter embraced her tightly, smoothing her hair down as the girl clung to her. Karina let go, looking up at her mother who placed a gentle hand on her cheek, smiling.

"How did it go?" She asked gently, taking in her daughter.

"Good." Karina smiled. "I just really want my bed," she admitted quietly, and Frigga laughed, ruffling her hair.

"Odin, you can interrogate them more once they've had a decent rest and something to eat." Thor stood, bringing his mother in for a hug as Odin stood up from the throne.

"If you say so," he replied, smiling. "If you'll excuse me." The siblings bowed their heads as Odin left the room, leaving them alone with their mother.

"Come on," Frigga said, taking Karina's hand in hers and leading them out of the room, "there's food waiting in the dining room." Karina's stomach growled loudly in response and Thor laughed loudly, putting an arm around her shoulders.

* * *

"Abigail Evans, BBC News, Mr. Stark, are you expecting Thor and Karina to return to New York anytime soon?"

Tony paused, his hand straying to the pager that sat in his pocket. He'd kept his promise to Karina and hadn't told anyone about the device but made sure he had it on his person at all times – just in case.

"Honestly? I have no idea if we'll see them again. They have their own world to run as well as dealing with Loki. I would like to see them again, they were great fun to have around, especially Karina with her 'purple awesomeness' '', Tony said making quotations in the air as he spoke, the action electing snickers from the group of reporters and journalists in front of him. "But if they do ever come back, know that all of us here will welcome them with open arms. I've even built rooms for them in Stark Tower!"

"Karina's is bigger than mine," Clint grumbled from where he was sat in between Natasha and Steve at the table that'd been set up for the conference.

"Probably because I like her more than you," Tony retorted, and the group chuckled at Clint's dejected expression. "Next question? Uh, you."

The man Tony had pointed at stood up, microphone in hand. "Kit Stark, CNN, Mr. Stark you've previously mentioned assisting in the re-building of Midtown Manhattan and New York, could you give us a bit more detail on this plan?"

Tony cleared his throat, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. "Well, my CEO, Miss Potts, is actually headlining that. We've teamed up with Fortune 500 and they will be donating $1.5 billion dollars to help the re-building efforts and I myself will be donating a further $1 billion." A small murmur went up at the amount of money being given but Tony dismissed it.

"Furthermore, Miss Potts and I will be assisting in the re-building of City Hall and Grand Central Station, ensuring that the proposed designs are true to the original architecture. We will be lending staff to those businesses – big and small – that need help re-building and myself and Cap here," Tony clapped Steve on the shoulder, "will be about Manhattan and New York, helping to clean up."

"Final question, Mr. Stark," the CNN reporter said, "there are some who will say that this large donation and support is coming from a guilty conscience due to your involvement in causing the damage in the first place. Would you consider these rumours to be true?"

Tony looked to the back of the room where Pepper was standing. She smiled and gave him a small nod and Tony straightened up as he began speaking. "I think in some way; we _all_ feel responsible for the events that happened over the past few days. We all have that nagging thought in the back of our minds of ' _what if?_ '. What if we had acted sooner, you know?

"My reasoning for the donation – not that I _need one_ – is not because of survivors' guilt or anything like that. It's because this is my home. And I want to show the world, heck, the _universe_ , that if you mess with the Earth, we will get up again. Yes, we will mourn, but we will carry on. Because that's what we do. We keep on moving."

* * *

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE KEEP ON MOVING." Tony Stark gives an emotional speech in Avengers press conference where he promises to donate $1 billion dollars to the re-building of Manhattan and New York.

* * *

 _Lin Manuel-Miranda tweeted:_ _Thank you, Avengers._ _We all owe you big time._ _X_

* * *

Karina groaned as she rolled over in her bed, stretching out her legs as she rolled. She'd slept for nearly a whole day, having gone to bed the night before with a full stomach and a nice buzz from the copious amount of wine she'd drank – she refused to acknowledge the fact that she'd had so much, Thor had had to help her to bed – with the feeling of sorrow slowly fading.

Throwing back the sheets and untangling her feet, Karina walked over to her balcony doors, letting them swing open and relishing the fresh air. She was always impressed at how immaculate the gardens always looked, with their neatly trimmed, rose bushes, hedges and hanging baskets along with the large fountain in the middle, spurting water and spray into the surrounding grass and flowers.

It was her favourite place in all of Asgard, the peace and serenity allowing her to forget about her hectic life and the responsibilities she faced. Karina leant on the balcony, resting her head on her arms. A soft breeze disturbed her curtains, sending them billowing into the back of her nightdress.

"I forgot how beautiful this garden is," Thor said softly as he joined Karina on her balcony. He was wearing a short cloak over the top of his armour and his hair was roughly tied up in a bun. "No one ever comes out here."

"No," Karina sighed, standing up, "it's not as beautiful as the other gardens, I suppose. But I love it."

"How are you?" Thor asked after a minute.

"I'm getting there," Karina replied, running a hand through her bed hair. "I miss them."

"Yeah, me too," Thor responded, putting an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss into her hair. The two of them stayed like that for a while, soaking in the setting sun.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I have absolutely no idea when I'll be back, but to tide you over until then - and in honour of brand new Brooklyn 99 - have an incorrect quote with someone we've yet to meet ;)**

 **Karina: It's the most fun day of the year. Something you wouldn't understand because you're not programmed to feel joy**

 **Vision: Yes, but my software is due for an exuberance upgrade.**


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N:_ I've seen Endgame...**

* * *

 _7_ _th_ _May 2011_

* * *

Heimdall stepped back as the Tesseract let out a low pulsating sound, glowing brighter as it began to fix the Bifrost. A loud cracking sound came from the bridge as it knitted itself back together, the Bifrost itself whirring as it was fixed. Heimdall felt a sense of relief wash over him as the Bifrost was finally restored, allowing Asgard control once again.

"All that's left to do is squash the uprisings," Heimdall muttered with a sigh, walking back to his usual place on the Bifrost.

* * *

 _23rd July 2011_

* * *

Karina gripped her sword tightly as she faced off against Sif. Sweat was slick on her back and it dripped down her face. Sif yelled as she spun, her sword coming at Karina. Karina blocked the sword, the metal clanging as they met, and pushed it away, taking a step back and panting. Karina took a second to readjust the grip on her sword, wiping the sweat off her hand on her pant leg. Karina growled as she launched herself at Sif, parrying blow for blow as they did a lethal dance on the dusty ground.

All around them, soldiers had stopped their training to watch the fight. They'd all moved out of the ring and were sitting on the wall surrounding the training ring. As their swords met for a second time, Karina kicked Sif's legs from underneath her, sending the goddess sprawling onto the ground, sword falling from her hand. Karina pointed her sword at Sif's neck, a smile on her sweaty face as Sif yielded. It was at that point that the soldiers surrounding them burst into applause at the performance and Karina blushed, brushing the hair back from her forehead.

"Come on, stop dawdling." One of the elite soldiers appeared at the top of the steps and began ushering his soldiers back to training. "We all know they're brilliant, come on."

"Are we though?" Karina asked, bending down to pick her sword up off the floor. "I thought we were just average."

"Well, compared to that lot," he nodded his head to where the younger soldiers were training, "you're bloody awesome."

Karina huffed, blowing her hair out of her face, "thanks."

"I'm Cassian," he said, holding out his hand.

"Karina." Karina took his hand and shook it. "Although I assume you already knew that."

Cassian laughed, running a hand through his curly brown hair. "I thought I knew you from somewhere!"

"Oh, very funny," Karina chuckled, sheathing her sword. "Haven't you got soldiers to train?"

"Ah, yes," Cassian said, clicking his fingers. "Well then, Princess Karina," he bowed, and Karina swatted at him, "off I go." Cassian took off towards the other training ring, barking orders as soon as he was within earshot of his soldiers. Karina watched him leave and chuckled to herself as she headed in the direction of the washroom.

* * *

Karina began seeing Cassian about Asgard more and more. Whenever she went to training, he was there training his legion of soldiers. She'd even begun seeing him about the palace and made sure to shoot him a smile and say hello. Somehow, in-between their many run-ins and conversations, they'd started training together. Cassian was an amazing warrior, brute force and a steel eye made him strong and fast. Karina, however, was fast and sleek, darting out the way of his attacks before they could land. T

heir training battles often involved their fellow soldiers stopping their training and watching the two battle. Who won varied every day. Cassian one once because Thor had distracted Karina, allowing Cassian to flip her onto her back. Karina had given Thor the finger when that happened and he'd chuckled, disappearing back into the palace. When she wasn't training with Cassian, Karina trained with Thor, harnessing her powers. These sessions were always done away from the citadel in the forests where no one could get hurt. There had been a few occasions where Karina had lost focus for a moment, and it had resulted in a minor explosion that had leveled a few trees.

"You haven't had any visions for a while, have you?" Thor asked one day as they took a water break.

"No," Karina said as she took a sip from the bottle, they'd brought with them. "Which is weird – for me."

Thor chuckled, "I wouldn't worry about it, its perfectly normal to go months without any visions at all." He stood up, pulling Karina to her feet. "Let's go again."

* * *

 _30_ _th_ _August 2011_

* * *

The banquet was in full swing. The band were playing a lively folk song that the majority of the soldiers were singing along, and there were dancers dotted all over the hall. Somehow, food was still coming out of the kitchens, the servants bringing out wild boar, pies, bowls of fruits and delicate deserts to line the endless tables. Karina sat at the top table in between Thor and Frigga, the food sitting in front of her untouched. She picked at a thread on her navy-blue dress, and shivered when a breezed wafted through the room, touching her open back.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked, tilting his head to talk to her.

"I'm just feeling a bit odd," Karina assured him, squeezing his hand. "Besides, if I eat anything then I might just pop out of this dress!"

Thor chuckled, turning to face Fandral who'd just asked him a question. Truth be told, Karina was feeling like shit. For the past five hours, she'd felt like she was about to pass out and whenever she stood up, the entire world spun.

"Fellow Asgardians!" Odin's voice zoned Karina back into the hall and she blinked furiously as she tried to get rid of her stinging eyes. "It is my great honour to be able to announce that my son, Thor, will be taking the lead on our mission to bring order and authority back to the Nine Realms," Odin announced. A loud cheer went up, several soldiers raised their glasses in a toast.

"Furthermore, it is my pleasure to be able to promote Sergeant Cassian Villason to Captain of the Elite where he will take command of his troops and lead them to victory in our mission to achieve peace." Karina's eyes widened in surprise at Cassian's surprise promotion. She clapped along with the rest of the hall, a smile on her face.

"I would like to propose a toast," Odin said, raising his goblet. There was the sound of chairs scraping on the floor as everyone in the hall stood. Karina picked up her goblet and stood up, trying to ignore the spots appearing in her vision as she stood. "To peace – long may it reign!"

"To peace!"

Karina suddenly felt her body jolt as if it'd been electrocuted. The spots in her vision went from black to _red._ Not the usual purple she was used to. Just like blood, the red filled her vision and her body jolted. The goblet she was holding fell from her hand, falling to the floor with a loud clang. Silence fell in the hall as all eyes turned to her.

"Karina, what's wrong?' Thor asked gently, placing his goblet down on the table and turning to her worriedly. Karina opened her mouth to reply, but felt her knees give way, her body falling to the floor. She caught herself on the table as her vision was obscured by a red mist.

* * *

 _Everything was red._ _There was no other way to describe what Karina was seeing. It was all just_ red. _She looked down at her hands and let out a shocked gasp. Her veins were bright red, the liquid moving through her skin as she turned her hand over. Karina looked down at the floor and saw a familiar symbol carved into the rock she was standing on._

 _All around her, red fragments floated about, glinting under an invisible source of light. They looked like broken stain glass pieces, but before Karina's eyes, they drifted towards one another, forming a large, red cloud._ _As all the fragments melded into one, large_ thing _Karina faltered and took a step back. She recognised this thing from one of her many books._

" _The Aether," Karina whispered, mesmerized by the object floating in front of her. She reached out a hand to touch the object, unable to control herself. The Aether wrapped itself around Karina's forearm, gliding over her skin and dancing up to her shoulder, to her head. It was only as the Aether began wrapping itself around her head that Karina began to realise that this wasn't right._ _She began to fight back against it, but as it pierced her brain, she felt her body go limp and fall to the floor, head smacking against stone as the Aether invaded her body._

* * *

Karina gasped, stumbling forward into the table as she came back to reality. The table jolted, knocking over several goblets and candles as Karina panted. Thor put a gentle hand on his sisters back as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, a tremor running through her body.

"I'm," Karina inhaled sharply, clenching her fists tightly as her head pounded, "fine."

"And I'm Tony Stark," Thor joked, and Karina huffed a laugh, her eyes still shut. "Come on." He wrapped an arm around Karina's waist, guiding her from the hall. Karina grasped her brother's arm as she stumbled, falling in to him slightly as they walked.

"I've got you," Thor whispered, tightening his grip on his little sister and pressing a kiss to her temple, "I've got you."

* * *

 _29_ _th_ _September 2011_

* * *

"Wait, what?"

"It's true," Cassian shrugged as he helped Karina up of the floor.

"And why am I only now hearing of this?"

"Because it was embarrassing and stupid and something a rarely tell people."

Karina stared at her friend as he picked his shield up off the floor. "So, hang on, let me get this straight. You mistook your ex-girlfriend, who is in your legion so that must be really awkward, for an evil guy and tackled her off the third floor balcony, before punching her in the face and giving her a black eye?"

"Kind of, yeah," Cassian mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "We might, have also, been, you know," he gestured wildly, and Karina's eyes widened.

"You tackled her off the balcony during sex?" Karina yelled. A bit _too loudly._

"Yeah, I still have the scars," a voice called from the ring and Karina turned to see Elodie standing there, blonde hair braided back, glaring at Cassian.

"Hang on, Cassian's the 'sex tackler'?" A soldier yelled, jeering when Elodie nodded. It didn't take long before the entire legion was taking the piss out of their commander.

Karina turned to Cassian, who's face had turned murderous, and immediately realised she'd gone too far. "Cassian, I'm –"

"Yeah, whatever, Your Highness."

Karina stood there, stunned as Cassian shouldered her, stalking off to try and gain back his authority over his legion.

* * *

 _1_ _st_ _October 2011_

* * *

Karina watched as the light elf refugees milled around the courtyard, their belongings strewn across the cobbles. Ever since the Bifrost collapse, a group calling themselves the "Marauders" had been terrorizing the realms – destroying towns, stealing money and valuables and murdering anyone who tried to stop them. Alfheim had been the latest realm to be attacked, the citizens seeking safety in Asgard. They'd flooded the Bifrost almost overnight, families swarming the citadel looking for shelter and warmth. Karina felt a shiver run down her back as she caught a glimpse of the soldiers marching a new prisoner down to the dungeons and pulled the sleeves of her jumper down to her hands.

She'd scooped her hair up into a bun and had thrown on a pair of brown trousers, black boots and a thick, woolen shawl that morning, knowing she was going to be busy.

"Princess?"

Karina looked over her shoulder and saw Cassian standing in the doorway, a grim look on his face. "What is it?" Karina asked, ignoring the use of her title and turning around to face her friend – _was he still her friend after what?_ \- properly.

"The AllFather has summoned you, The Warrior's Three, Lady Sif and Thor to the throne room," Cassian replied, stepping to the side and gesturing to the door.

"Did he tell you why?" Karina asked as she walked towards the throne room. Cassian shook his head and Karina sighed softly, straightening out her jacket as they walked. "We, uh, haven't seen each other for a while," Karina said quietly as they walked, swinging her arms by her side.

"No, we haven't," Cassian replied stiffly, and Karina rolled her eyes, groaning under her breath. "You're not still pissed about –"

" _Of course, I am, Karina!_ Cassian yelled, ignoring the people staring at them as he turned to face her. "You embarrassed me in front of my legion. I am now a _laughing stock_."

"It wasn't on purpose," Karina exclaimed, spinning on her heel and pointing a finger at him. "It was an accident."

"You know," Cassian began, crossing his arms, "you think that because your royalty, you're above everyone else." Karina stared at him open mouth, hands on her hips as he ranted on. "Hate to break this to you, _Princess_ , you're _not. You're ordinary_ , just like the rest of us."

Karina sucked on her teeth, shaking her head. "You think you know me, but you don't. And believe me," she chuckled humorlessly, "if I could be ordinary, I would be. I didn't wish to have magical powers that cause me pain almost on a daily basis. I didn't ask to have my freedom restricted. I didn't ask for my brother to become a murderer or for all those innocent people to die. I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS!" Karina swallowed against the lump in her throat as Cassian gaped at her, shoulder's falling down as he the full impact of his words sunk in.

Karina growled softly, storming off towards the throne room, a slightly purple hue about her person. Anyone who saw her as she marched down the corridors quickly moved out of the way, avoiding her wrath. She threw open the throne room doors, avoiding the looks the occupants gave her.

"Are we killing anyone?" Karina asked as she stopped in front of her father, arms crossed, "because I really want to."

"What's gotten into you?" Sif asked as she, and the rest of the Warriors Three and her brother, stared at the angry goddess.

"Some stupid man," Karina muttered, glaring at the floor.

"Right," Thor said slowly, looking between his sister and father. "Shall we?"

Odin cleared his throat, sitting up straighter in his chair, "As you all know, Anaheim is under attack. Asgard needs to be seen to be defending our realms and as a result of that, I am sending you to go and squash this rebellion. I am also sending two legions to go with you as a backup."

"We will do our duty, AllFather," Fandral said as he, and the rest of the warriors, bowed respectively. They all rose and began heading towards the armoury, Karina walking slightly further ahead than the rest of them. To say she was pissed was an understatement. Yes, she'd blurted out a slightly embarrassing secret of his in front of his legion and, yes, they'd fun at him but that wasn't a reason to snap at her.

"Right," Thor said, grabbing Karina's wrist as she headed towards her armour, "what's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Karina muttered, jerking her wrist away from her brother and grabbing her armour. "Cassian just said some…things."

"Is this going to affect your ability to work with him?" Karina's head turned to face her brother so fast, Sif was certain she heard it crack.

"Of course not! I'm not a child," Karina growled, pulling her armour on over her head. Thor raised his eyebrows, eyeing his sister carefully as she yanked on the straps of her gauntlets, tightening them up. Karina flexed her fingers, purposely ignoring the looks her brother kept giving her as he talked to Volstagg.

Karina huffed as she began to quickly braid half her hair back, tying the rest up in a bun with a hair tie. She unsheathed her swords, swinging them around as she checked for any damage, before putting them in their sheaths on her back.

"If you want me to murder anyone," Sif said, standing next to Karina as the latter hid a few knives in her boots, "just let me know."

"You know," Karina sighed as she cracked her knuckles, "I might just have to take you up on that offer." Sif chuckled quietly as the goddess left the armoury and headed towards the entrance to the bridge, ignoring the funny looks the soldiers were giving her.

 _God, I wish I was back on Earth_

* * *

 _Avengers Tower, New York City, New York, USA, Earth_

* * *

" Clint!" Natasha growled as she slammed shut the cupboard doors. "Stop nicking my coffee!"

"That wasn't me!" Clint yelled back, cursing loudly when he crashed his virtual car, killing his game character immediately. "It was probably Stark."

"What was me?" Tony sauntered into the room, falling into a nearby recliner, kicking it back.

"Natasha's favourite coffee has gone missing," Clint replied as he waited for his game to reload, "and she's blaming us."

"If Karina was here, she'd be blaming you too," Natasha called as she grumpily made a pot of coffee with the regular stuff. "I hate being the only girl."

"I do miss her," Tony sighed wistfully as he watched Clint shooting people on the T.V screen. "I wonder what she's doing," Natasha replied, drumming her fingers on the countertop.

"Probably sitting in a throne, looking stately," Clint grunted, swearing when his head was nearly blown off.

* * *

Karina was looking anything _but_ stately. She had a large gash on her forehead that had stained the hair around it red and kept dripping into her left eye, dust coated her armour and clothes and she'd lost a sword to Fandral at some point, the warrior grabbing it off the floor and running off with it before she could tell him it wasn't his. Blowing a piece of hair out of her face, Karina sat back on her haunches as she finished with one of the Marauders.

 _T_ _hree hours._

They'd been there for three hours and had made things considerably worse. Karina was impressed that the Temple of Virtue behind her was still standing, considering a rather large rock – followed by a distinct hammer – had crashed through its walls. If anyone ever asked Karina what she liked most about Earth, she'd definitely say that it was their communicational devices. She missed having an ear piece, especially as she caught a glimpse of several of the Marauders seeking protection inside the ancient temple that the Light Elves had abandoned. She missed it even more as she began running into the temple, sword raised, ducking behind pillars as she went.

There were voices in a distant room, yelling at someone who simply grunted in response. As Karina was about to attack the room, there was a thud from the basement. She turned to face the stairs that led down to the basement, tightly griping her sword as she snuck down the stairs. Another thud echoed up the stairs and Karina ducked into the shadows, trying to breathe quietly as she peeked around the corner. Standing in the middle of the room was a woman in what looked like a Kree suit, except the colours were wrong.

"This planet is under Asgard's control," Karina announced, emerging into the room and pointing her sword at the woman's back, "surrender."

"I'm not one of them," the woman said, turning around to face Karina, hands raised in surrender, "I'm here to help."

"Name?

"Carol Danvers, a former member of Starforce."

"You're a Kree?" Karina questioned, eyes furrowing in curiosity.

"Kree-Human hybrid," Carol corrected with a smile. "I go solo now."

Karina stared at the woman in front of her and slowly lowered her sword. "So, you're a space avenger?"

"I'm a what now?"

"Avenger," Karina repeated, "defending other planets like I do on Earth. There's a whole team of us called the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D put us together."

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" Carol crossed her arms. "Tell me, does Fury still work there?"

"Work there? He runs it," Karina scoffed. "Hang on." Her eyes widened as she registered what Carol had said. "You know Fury?"

"Yeah, he helped me a while back defend the Earth from the Kree invasion. How's his eye?"

Karina gasped, "That was you?"

"What? No, it was Goose." Karina stared at her. "Ya know, goose, the Flerken." Carol made a gesture that looked a lot like her impression of a Flerken attacking.

"There's a Flerken on Earth?"

"Yeah, she ate the Tesseract and scratched Fury's eye out," Carol explained.

"Scratched – what, how, Tesseract?" Karina shook her head, rubbing her eyes, "this is not what I expected to happen today."

Silence fell between the two women, broken occasionally by the fight going on above them. "So," Carol began, drawing out the word, "you're an Asgardian?" She said, swinging her arms by her side.

"Yeah," Karina sighed, "I'm Karina," she held out her hand.

"Carol," Carol said, shaking it, "although we've already done that."

A sudden explosion rocked the temple, sending clouds of dust cascading down onto the women. Karina raised her sword, purple hue enveloping her hands as Carol moved to stand next to her, a distinct glow about her persona. Karina stared at the Kree-human next to her, eyes wide.

"You…glow?"

"So do you," Carol quipped, nodding towards Karina's glowing hands.

"Eh," Karina said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, "comes with the job."

"Check down there!" Both women looked up at the stairs as several pairs of footsteps began walking down them, approaching them.

"Hide or confront?" Karina asked as they moved into the middle of the room, back to back.

"I say confront," Carol replied as the footsteps got louder. "Besides, we both glow and you've got a sword, how hard can it be?"

There was a roar and they slowly turned to face the staircase where a large rock man stood next to two dozen Marauders, all armed and angry. They turned around and saw another two dozen men behind them, boxing them in.

"You were saying?" Karina muttered, sizing up the men in front of her as she swung her sword around.

"How important is this temple?" Carol asked suddenly, looking around. "Uh, in the grand scheme of things?" Karina asked and Carol nodded, "not _that_ important."

"Then get ready to blow it to kingdom come," Carol replied, her body beginning to glow brighter. As the warriors began to march forward, Karina and Carol's glows began to get brighter, the two merging into one as they summoned all their powers. The structures of the temple began to rumble, chunks of rock falling off the walls and landing around them with a thud. The Marauders in front of them began to look around worriedly as the rumbling increased.

"NOW!" Carol yelled and together, the two warriors threw their hand up, sending their powers up into the ceiling. The burst of power shot through the ceiling, the stone cracking as their powers surged through it. It didn't take long before the supports of the temple began to collapse and soon the entire building was collapsing in on itself. Karina quickly threw up a forcefield as the rubble began to fall on to them, straining against the weight of the century's old temple.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the main battlefield, everyone stopped as a large earthquake rocked the ground, knocking a few warriors over. Thor looked up; eyes wide as the temple in front of him began to collapse in on itself. He took a few steps back, eyes locking with Sif as the two shared the same thought.

"Has anyone seen Karina?" Thor yelled, voice cracking slightly.

"Not recently," Hogun called, "I last saw her running into," he trailed off, eyes wide as he quietly said, "the temple."

Thor turned and stared in horror as the temple finally collapsed, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. An eerie silence fell as everyone simple stared at what was once the Temple of Virtue, now rendered to simply dust and rubble. Sif was the first one to snap out of the horror trance, ordering the soldiers to begin digging through the rubble, searching for _anyone_ who might still be alive.

Fandral and Volstagg ordered anyone not digging to search for any remaining Marauders, the majority of them having fled the planet when the temple collapsed. Thor, frozen where he stood, simply continued to stare.

* * *

With a loud grunt, Karina pushed the large piece of rubble blocking their exit, sending it tumbling down the pile and onto the grassy floor. Blowing her hair out of her face, Karina clambered out of the hole they'd hidden in, surveying the damage as she crouched down and hauled Carol out and onto the rubble. The two of them fell back against what had been a statue of the Light Elf goddess, Elliana panting and giggling.

"That was mad," Karina breathed, giggling furiously when she glanced at Carol.

"I've done madder," Carol replied, chuckling. "It appears to have worked, though," she added, looking around and seeing no sign of any more Marauders.

Karina sighed, resting her head on the stone behind her, "One realm down, who knows how many more to go."

Carol patted Karina on the shoulder as she stood up, holding out a hand for the goddess. "You'll be fine," Carol said, dusting herself down. "I'm presuming you won't be staying to help tidy up?"

"Correct," Carol smiled, climbing off the rubble pile, "there's plenty more planets out there to save, Karina."

"Don't I know it!" Karina yelled back with a smirk.

"I'll see you around, Avenger," Carol winked, turning and running towards the tree line before launching herself into the sky, becoming a tiny dot as she flew off to defend the next planet.

Karina exhaled, looking around in dismay. "I'd better not have lost that bloody sword," she muttered, crouching down and looking through the rubble. Letting out a triumph, "Ahah!" Karina pulled her sword from underneath the crumbled stone, wiping most of the dust off on her pant leg as she stood up.

"Keep searching!"

Karina's head shot up as she heard Fandral's voice coming from the other side of the temple. Realising that she should probably re-assure her brother and friends that she was fine, Karina jumped down from the ruins and jogged over to the scarred land that had become their battlefield.

"Thor!" Karina called as she spotted her brother looking murderous and upset, standing in the middle of the field. Thor's eyes widened as he saw his sister running towards him and he met her halfway, scooping her up into his arms and hugging her tightly. Karina squeezed her brother tightly, blowing his hair out of her face as he hugged her.

"What happened?" Thor asked, setting her down on the ground and putting his hands on her cheeks as he looked her over.

"I was surrounded," Karina began, swatting her concerned brother away, "and I didn't see any other way out other than destroying the temple."

"I thought you were dead," Thor muttered, hugging his sister again, a hand on her hair as she hugged him back.

"Well, I'm not," Karina replied, releasing herself from Thor's grasp and looking around at the battleground. "Are we done?"

"I believe so," Thor looked around, surveying the damage. Karina sighed, nodding as she sheathed her sword and looked around the field watching as the soldiers rounded up the remaining Marauders, chaining them up and gathering them by the Bifrost site, ready to move them to Asgard. They'd made a mess of the planet; fires were burning everywhere and the temple was a pile of rubble. A few Light Elves were dotted about, weeping over the loss of their religious temple.

She caught a glimpse of Cassian, covered in dirt and blood, rounding up the Marauders. He looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a single nod. Karina returned the gesture, a smile forming on her face when he turned around as she realised he'd forgiven her. Smiling, she turned around to Thor who give her a questioning look before shaking his head and disappearing off to go and help Sif.

Karina noticed Fandral struggling with a group of Marauders and ran over, whipping out her sword and yelling at them to get back into line and to _fucking behave_. She rolled her eyes as one of the Marauders whistled at her, sending him a glare as the Bifrost came down, enveloping Karina, Fandral and the Marauders and transporting them back to Asgard. Where there were over a dozen more Marauders waiting to be taken to the dungeons. Karina groaned, psyching herself up as she readied to yell at them. "It's going to be a long day," Karina muttered, yelling as one of the Marauders started attacking a nearby guard.

* * *

 _2 years later_

* * *

Karina sat on a bench outside the throne room, the doors to the balcony wide open. She fiddled with the belt of her dress, eyes down on the ground as she sat there.

"Karina?"

Karina's head shot up, smiling when she saw her mother standing in the doorway leading to the throne room. Karina hastily stood up, her dress falling to her ankles, and walked up to her mother.

"Are you going in?"

Her mother nodded, grasping Karina's shaking hand in hers. "I'll try, darling," her mother smiled, "but I can't promise."

"I know you can't," Karina replied, sighing.

Frigga squeezed her hand and began walking into the throne room. Karina watched as her mother disappeared around the corner and she sat back down on her bench to resume her watch.

* * *

"Loki."

Loki looked up from where he was being led into the throne room, chained up and guarded by four soldiers. Lining the walls were even more soldiers, all armed, ready to restrain Loki should he try anything.

"Hello, mother," Loki smiled, chains clanking as he walked forward, "have I made you proud?"

"Please don't make this worse," Frigga whispered, clasping her shaky hands together as she looked at her son.

"Define worse," Loki questioned with a smirk, knowing he was beginning to annoy Odin.

"Your sister –"

"Enough!" Odin boomed making Frigga jump slightly. "I will speak to the prisoner alone."

Frigga took one last look at Loki and quickly left the room, her footsteps echoing around the vast room as she walked away, the door banging loudly as it shut behind her.

Loki laughed, "I really don't see what all the fuss is about." His chains clanked as he shrugged, his guards becoming defensive when he moved forward, their spears pointing at his back.

"Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go there is war, ruin and death," Odin said, looking down on his adopted son from his throne.

"I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent god," he paused and looked Odin in his good eye, "just like you."

"We are not gods. We are born, we live, we die. Just as humans do," Odin replied, refusing to raise to the bait Loki was clearly setting out for him.

"Give or take 5000 years," Loki rolled his eyes, chains clanking as he clasped his hands together.

"All this because Loki desires a throne."

"It is my birthright," Loki growled, eyes glinting with rage.

"Your birthright," Odin spat, "was to die as a child." He sighed quietly, "cast out onto a frozen rock," he continued softly, the rage from earlier gone. "If I had not taken you in you would not be here now to hate me."

"If I am for the axe, then for mercy's sake, just swing it," Loki replied monotonously. "It's not that I don't love our little talks it's just … I don't love them."

"Frigga and Karina are the only reason's you're still alive and you will never see them again." Loki stiffened at the mention of his sister, hands clenched tightly as he held back his anger. "You will spend the rest of your day in the dungeons."

"And what of Thor?" Loki spat. "You will make that witless oaf king while I rot in chains? And Karina? Ambassador for Midgard?" Loki chuckled darkly, "how pathetic."

"Thor must strife to undo the damage you've done. He will bring order to the Nine Realms and then, yes. He will be King." Odin paused, "and once that is done, Karina will be left to go wherever she feels she is needed. And if that is Midgard, she will go there."

Loki said nothing. He simply stared at the floor, hiding the fact that his eyes were glistening at the fact he'd probably never see his little sister again. He inhaled sharply, lifting his head to meet his father's gaze. "So be it."

* * *

 _Thwunk_

Karina huffed as she relaxed her stance, dropping her right arm to her side as she stared at the target where her knife was sticking out. She turned around, grabbing a second knife off the table next to her. Karina breathed out as she repositioned herself, grip on the knife tight. She took a breath in, eyeing up the target. As she let loose her breath, she threw the knife, a small sense of triumph arising inside her when she saw it land next to the first knife.

"Throwing knives? What happened to the sword?" Karina chuckled as she picked up another knife, feeling its weight as she held it.

"I care about my sword," she replied as she threw the knife, cursing silently when it landed at the bottom of the target, "I don't care what happens to the knives." She quickly threw another knife, letting out an angry scream when it completely missed the target, landing in the wooden leg instead.

"Hey, hey," Cassian said, walking up behind Karina and putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, "calm down."

"Calm down?!" Karina whirled around and Cassian took a quick step back, hands up in surrender. "My brother is being locked up for life, I will _never_ get to see him again and you're telling me to calm down?" She sighed shakily, fiddling with the end of her braid. "He's my brother, Cassian, despite it all, I still love him." Cassian sighed, wrapping his arms around his friend and Karina rested her head on his chest as she swallowed against the lump in her throat.

"Families are shit, trust me, I know." He rested his head on top of hers, rubbing her back gently as Karina let out a broken sob.

"I miss them," Karina whispered, and Cassian knew she didn't mean Thor and her fellow warriors.

As much as she hated to admit it, she still loved Loki and finding out he was going to be locked up for the rest of his life hurt. Yes, he'd done unspeakable things but a part of her was in stupid denial, refusing to acknowledge what he'd done even though she'd been there. She'd fought in the battle. And when she met the Avengers, she finally felt as if she'd found somewhere where she could be Karina. No Princess Karina, warrior or Goddess of Fire. Just Karina. No one had any expectations of her, they didn't pander to her every need, they didn't ask questions, they simply let her be _her._

But then she had to come back to Asgard and sort out another mess, despite the fact she'd just survived a full-scale Alien invasion. Barely having any time to come to terms with her emotions and a new outlook on life.

"I'm fine," Karina muttered, wiping her eyes and stepping away from Cassian.

"I know," Cassian replied softly, moving to lean against a pillar as Karina retrieve the knives from the target. He stayed there, watching as Karina threw knife after knife at the board, said nothing when she let loose a scream and blasted the target – and the majority of the surrounding plants – with her magic, burning them away. Karina fell to her knees, panting hard as tears streamed down her face as the reality of everything that had happened finally sunk in.

* * *

The night was filled with the cheers of the soldiers celebrating the defeat of the Marauders and that peace had, once again, settled over the Nine Realms. Volstagg let out a roar of laughter as he finished his tenth drink of the night, throwing the mug to the floor much to the delight of the crowd. Fandral chuckled, two women, sitting on his lap, as he watched his friend re-tell the many stories that had come from their battles.

But not everyone was celebrating.

Thor glanced at his sister. She hadn't said a single word the entire night, barely touching any food and occasionally sipping on her drink. Instead of the usual extravagant dresses she wore to the banquets, she was wearing a plain, navy dress with long sleeves and an open back. She'd scooped her hair to the side with a gilded comb, but other than that, there was no sparkle on her.

Thor's hand found Karina's under the table and he squeezed it tightly, reminding her that he was there. Karina squeezed back, turning to face her brother with a small smile. Knowing that neither of them felt like celebrating, Thor stood up, holding his arm out for Karina. Together, the two of them left the hall, Fandral giving them a sympathetic smile, patting Thor on the back as he passed.

Karina sat down on a bench on the outside balcony, watching the floating orbs of light as Thor spoke to Sif. She wanted to be anywhere by Asgard. Wanted to be anywhere but here because here was where it all went wrong. She let out a deep breath as she stared out to space, wondering what was going on Earth and how her friends were. Karina knew that she had a role to fulfill and couldn't leave yet, but the promise of one day being able to leave didn't stop the itch that was yelling at her to abandon everything and run back to New York.

"Ria," Thor called softly. Karina looked at her brother, standing up and taking his offered arm as they made their way down to the Bifrost. This had been their routine for a while now. Every night they'd meet and go down to the Observatory where Thor would ask after Jane and Karina the Avengers.

It helped Thor feel better about abandoning Jane, listening to Heimdall tell him all about her adventures around the globe as she tried to figure out if and when Thor was coming back. He also had the same lovestruck smile on his face when he listened to Heimdall and Karina was so happy to see him happy. Karina asked after the Avengers, not because she felt guilty, but because she knew how dangerous their jobs were. She needed to know that when she did go back it wasn't going to be to no one.

They also took the chance to learn more about their universe, about their world. If Thor was destined to be King, he needed to know about what he was going to be projecting. Heimdall explained to them all about the random occurrences that happened in space, never complaining when they asked questions or didn't understand something. He encouraged them to learn and supported them every time.

Which is why, every night, they made the trek down the bridge where it all went wrong.

* * *

"You're late," Heimdall called as they finally entered the Observatory.

"Merriment can sometimes be a heavier burden than battle," Thor sighed, approaching Heimdall.

Then you're both doing one of them incorrectly."

\Thor chuckled, looking out into space, Karina by his side. "How fare the stairs?"

"Still shining," Heimdall replied quietly. "From here I can see Nine Realms and ten trillion souls." Heimdall glanced at the siblings as he drove his sword into the Bifrost, starting it up as it began to move, revealing the stars in front of them. "You remember what I told you of the Convergence?"

"Yes, the alignment of the worlds," Thor replied, nodding, "it approaches, doesn't it?"

"The universe hasn't seen this marvel since before my watch began," Heimdall began, eyes back on the expansive space before them. "Few can sense, even fewer can see it. A world that's infected can be dangerous." A small smile formed on his face as he stared at the stars. "It is truly beautiful."

Silence fell on them as they stared out at the space, watching as stars blinked in and out of existence. Karina's eyes widened as she took it all in, awe written all over her face.

"I see nothing," Thor replied after a moment. Heimdall chuckled at Thor's puzzled expression as the god sighed.

"I can," Karina whispered as she watched the stars slowly moving. Heimdall looked at her, shock on his face as she stared at the sky, unblinking. "It's magnificent."

"How come Karina can see it and I can't?" Thor asked, turning to face the Gatekeeper.

"Perhaps because the Convergence isn't the beauty you seek," Heimdall replied and Thor chuckled quietly, swatting Karina when she smirked, giving him a knowing look.

"How is she?" He asked it so gently, scared that Heimdall would have bad news for him.

Karina peeled her eyes away from the stars, watching Heimdall as he smiled. She could see Thor's shoulders relax at Heimdall's smile and Karina could tell how much he cared for Jane.

"She's quite clever, your mortal. She doesn't know it yet, but she studies the Convergence as well. Even …"

"What?" Thor asked tentatively, worry on his face.

"I can't see her," Heimdall said quietly, eyes frantically searching the skies for any sign of Jane. Karina and Thor shared a look, both showing equal amounts of panic in their faces.

"Where is she?"

* * *

Karina tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Thor to appear back in Asgard with – she was presuming – Jane. Thor had immediately gone down to Midgard to check on Jane and Karina took the chance to disappear back up to the palace and get changed into something more comfortable. In the end, she'd decided upon a red silk halter neck dress with cold shoulder sleeves and a highly embellished gold belt. She'd released her hair from the clip and had it tucked behind both ears, running an anxious hand through it every so often as she resisted the temptation to begin pacing around the observatory.

"Stop worrying," Heimdall called suddenly, causing Karina to jump slightly.

Choosing to ignore his words, instead giving him a pointed look, Karina began chewing on her thumbnail as the Bifrost whirled into life, the bright light blinding them. Karina vaguely made out a large object coming towards her as she ducked out of the way, starring in surprise at what appeared to be the front bumper of a police car as Thor and Jane appeared.

"We have to do that again," Jane gasped, eyes wide. She faltered when she saw Heimdall standing in the middle of the room and gave him an awkward wave. "Hi."

"Welcome to Asgard," Heimdall said as he withdrew the sword from the Bifrost, watching in amusement as Jane looked around in awe.

"We're you trying to kill me?" Karina groaned as she stumbled to her feet, glaring at her brother as he smiled sheepishly at her.

"Karina!" Jane exclaimed, launching herself at the woman. Karina chuckled as she hugged Jane back, happy to see her again.

"I heard you've been causing chaos," she said fondly as she took a step back, smiling as Thor came and put a protective arm around Jane's shoulders.

"Maybe," Jane replied, drawing out the word, much to Karina's amusement.

"Something's wrong with her," Thor suddenly said, glancing from Jane to Karina, "I have no idea what it is." Karina looked at her brother in confusion and he sighed, "sorry about this."

Karina had no idea what happened next. One minute she was standing next to Jane, the next she was falling against the Observatory wall as a red mist surrounded Jane who was lying on the floor.

"What?" Karina stared as Thor helped Jane up, turning to look at his sister, a slightly guilty expression on his face as he hurried over to Karina, helping her up. "Oh Jane, you've been causing far more trouble than I thought."

* * *

 **A/N: So a _lot_ happened in this chapter and I did contemplate splitting it into two but decided it was easier to leave it as one chapter. Cassian is going to be a fairly significant character during Dark World and Ragnarok and I was excited to introduce him into the story.**

 **Also, I am an impatient human and I couldn't wait to bring Carol (aka the queen of the universe) into _Warrior_ hence the little cameo in this chapter.**

 **If anyone wants to pop in PM and scream about Endgame, feel free. Just don't spoil it in the reviews, that's not cool.**

 **'till next time!**

* * *

 _ **Incorrect Quote:**_

 _ **Karina: Look at you. Always plotting. What happened to my fun big brother?**_

 _ **Loki: Fun? I was never fun. You take that back.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Welcome to Thor: The Dark World, aka, the one where Loki and Karina piss Thor off**

* * *

It was dark in the healing room. The only source of light was from the numerous candles hanging off the walls and in candelabras in the corners of the room. Karina had settled herself in the corner of the room, leaning on the wall, as Eir and her fellow healers attempted to figure out what was wrong with Jane.

Thor stood almost next to Jane, who was lying on the table in the middle of the room, his worried eyes watching in amusement as Jane looked around in awe. She pointed to a thick mass floating above her, poking it slightly in curiosity.

"What's that?" She asked, poking it again much to Karina's amusement.

"Be still," Eir admonished, swatting her hand down. Karina chuckled softly as Jane sulked, putting her arm back down on the table.

"This is not of Earth," Thor said quietly to Anna who was standing next to him, "what is it?"

"We do not know," Anna replied, looking at something on the device in her hands, "but she won't survive the amount of energy surging within her."

Thor looked down sadly and Karina moved from her corner to stand next to her brother, taking his hand in hers as they watched an oblivious Jane poke at the mass floating above her again.

"That's a quantum field generator, isn't it?" Jane asked, eyes watching the mass as it hovered above her head.

"It's a soul forge," Eir replied stiffly, tapping at something on the table.

"Does a Soul Forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?"

Eir stopped what she was doing, an impressed look on her face as she stared at Jane. "Yes."

"Quantum field generator," Jane said quietly to the siblings and Thor smiled affectionately whilst Karina huffed a laugh, squeezing her brother's hand when she saw the worry appear in his eyes again.

The doors to the infirmary suddenly burst open as Odin marched through them, a small legion of guards behind him.

"My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" He questioned, coming to a stop at the foot of the table. Karina resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her father, choosing to move closer to Jane in case he tried to kick her out.

"She's ill," Thor told him only for Odin to wave his concern away.

"She is mortal," Odin replied carelessly, "illness is their defining trait."

"I brought her here so we can help her," Thor walked up to his father, attempting to persuade him to let her stay.

"She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table," Odin scowled.

Karina's mouth fell open, eyes widening at her father's complete lack of respect towards Jane.

"Did he just…" Jane asked, sitting up and looking between Thor and his father. "Who do you think you are?" She gave Odin a fierce glare as she waited for an explanation.

"I am Odin, King of Asgard and Protector of the Nine Realms."

Jane's shoulders slumped. "Oh. Well, I'm – "

"I know very well who you are, Jane Foster," Odin replied, and Karina had to resist a smile at Jane's expression as she turned to Thor.

"You told your dad about me?" She asked, smiling. Karina smiled softly at Jane's expression, taking a step closer towards her friend as she noticed her father beginning to grow impatient.

"Something's within her father," Thor said as he tried, once again, to persuade Odin to let her stay, "something I have not seen."

"Her world has its healers, they're called doctors," Odin replied, waving his guards forward, "they're called doctors, let them deal with it. Guards!" Instantly, they moved towards Jane and Karina moved closer towards Jane, ready to protect her as Thor moved towards Karina.

"No, I wouldn't –"

Thor didn't get a chance to finish as one of the guards grabbed Jane's arm, causing whatever was inside her to zap the guard and everyone in the room. Thor shielded Karina from the blast which knocked the guards approaching Jane over.

"Touch her," Thor finished unnecessarily, rushing over to Jane. Karina followed quickly behind, glancing over her shoulder at her father. He took a step forward, running a hand over Jane's arm. As he did so, her skin began to glow red, the same colour as the blast.

"It's impossible," Odin whispered as he stared at Jane's arm in astonishment.

"The infection," Eir said softly, "it's defending her?"

"No," Thor replied, "it's defending itself."

Karina glanced down at Jane, concern in her eyes as the woman mumbled something under her breath. She reached out a hand, gently grasping Jane's hand in hers.

"Come with me," Odin said suddenly, gesturing for the siblings and Jane to follow after him.

* * *

Odin led them through the Hall of Science and into a cavernous chamber that was the Library. It had an extensive collection of books, some dating all the way back to before Asgard was founded and several large tables in-between the tall shelves. In the middle of the chamber, on an ornate, gold table, a large, gold book, glowing gently in the dim light.

"There are relics that predate the universe itself. What lies within her appears to be one of them." Odin stopped in front of the large, golden table, where the book sat "The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn, as they will have a dusk. But before the dawn, the dark forces, the Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged."

Carefully, Odin opened the book, turning to a particular page where the intricate drawing gently moved.

"'Before the eternal night," Thor read, "the Dark Elves come to steal away your light'," he looked up at his father, "these were the stories mother told to us as children."

"I remember," Karina whispered quietly, "They made a weapon out of darkness or something."

Odin nodded, "Their leader, Malekith, made a weapon out of that darkness, it was known as the Aether. While the other relics, like the Tesseract, appear as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes into dark matter, and seeks out host bodies, drawing their strength from their life force.

"Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe from one of light to one of darkness. But, after the eternities of bloodshed, my father Bor finally triumphed; ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years."

"What happened?" Jane whispered and Karina suddenly remembered why they were there. Not to read fairytales, to help Jane.

"He killed them all," Odin said bluntly.

"Are you certain? Thor asked, "because the Aether was said to have been destroyed with them, and yet here it is."

"The Dark Elves are dead."

"Don't," Karina muttered, putting a hand on her brother's arm when he opened his mouth even though she could tell her father was lying.

"Does your magical book happen to mention how to get it out of me?" Jane asked nervously.

"No," Odin replied, staring at Jane with his one good eye, "it does not." He turned around and began walking towards the doors. "She can stay."

"So generous," Karina muttered as Odin left. Jane scoffed, starring after Odin. "Come on," Karina called, grabbing Jane's hand in hers, "there's an empty room next to mine you can stay in."

* * *

Loki sighed as more prisoners were filed past his cell, most of them grumbling the entire way. The guards yelled every so often when one of them stepped out of line, pushing them back into the single file queue that weaved through the dungeons and up the stairs.

"Odin continues to bring mew new friends. How thoughtful." Loki turned to face his mother, hands behind his back.

"The books I sent, do they not interest you?" Frigga asked, glancing at the piles of books stacked along the walls of Loki's cell.

"Is that how I am to while away eternity?" Loki questioned, frowning at his mother. "Reading?"

"I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable – "

"Have you?" Loki swirled on his heels, taking a step close to his mother. "Does Odin share your concern?" Frigga's silence answered his question and he laughed humourlessly. "Does Thor? Does Karina? It must be so inconvenient, them asking after me day and night."

"You know full well that your actions brought you here. You also know that Karina worries about you."

"Does she? I am yet to see her –"

"Because should she even set foot within the dungeons, Odin will restrict her access to Midgard and keep her on Asgard for the rest of her life."

Loki stared at his mother for a while before saying, "she plans to head back to Midgard?"

"She's made friends down there. She's found a purpose, thanks to your actions."

"My actions? I was merely giving truth to the lie I've been fed my _entire life_. That I was born to be a king," Loki growled.

"A king? A true king admits his faults. What of the lives you took on Earth?"

"A mere handful compared to the number that Odin has taken himself," Loki snarled. He knew his mother was only trying to help, but he couldn't help the anger he felt whenever Odin was mentioned.

"Your father – "

"He's not my father," Loki yelled, finally losing his temper. He glared at his mother, a glint in his eyes as she stood her ground.

"Then am I not your mother? Is Karina not your sister?"

Loki paused, looking down at the ground as he finally realised what denying Odin as his father truly meant. "No," he said quietly.

Frigga forced a smile to her face, trying to keep the tears in her eyes at bay as she took a step closer to her son. "Huh, always so perceptive about everyone but yourself," she said, looking her son in the eye.

Loki sighed, shaking his head as he moved closer to his mother, reaching out to grab her hands. But as he came into contact with her, her astral projection disappeared and Loki closed his eyes, feeling a wave of emotions roll over him as he realised that he'd never get to hug his mother again. Or his sister.

* * *

Karina and Thor walked through the bustling streets outside the palace, smiling whenever someone greeted them. Karina linked her left arm with Thor's as they walked, holding the hem of her dress off the floor with her other. Karina let out a quiet chuckle when she saw Jane playing with a little boy's toy in the middle of the street – much to the disgust of the boy and his friends.

Karina giggled quietly, trying to hide her smile as Jane continued to be oblivious to the glares the boys were sending her.

Jane turned, noticing Thor and Karina walking towards them and a smile overtook her face as she stared at the ball in amazement. "This thing is amazing," she said as the approached. "I'm so taking this apart."

"Uh, Jane," Thor called, noticing the boys. "Jane."

"What?" Jane asked, looking up from her attempts at dismantling the ball.

"You've got their ball," Karina explained, nodding to where the disgruntled boys sat.

"Ah." Jane sighed and threw the ball to the boys who quickly ran away with it.

Karina chuckled, approaching the woman with a skip and took her arm. "Don't worry," Karina said as she led Jane down the street, "I've got one you can have."

Karina didn't miss the loved-up smile Thor had on his face at Jane's excited squeak at the prospect of being able to have something from Asgard and she rolled her eyes in fondness as they walked down the street.

"Right," Karina said, withdrawing her arm from Jane's, "I'm going to leave you two love birds alone. I've got stuff to do." Karina chuckled as she dodged Thor's punch, running up the stairs and back towards the palace. She slowed her pace down when she turned into the palace, nodding respectfully at the servants who bowed to her. Instead of following the corridor down to the royal apartments, Karina took a sharp left and disappeared down a flight of stairs, heading for the archives.

There was a particular record book she was after, one that had a detailed account of every battle ever fought by an Asgardian. Her father was lying, and Karina knew, there had to be something, somewhere, that mentioned a rogue Dark Elf not being caught. How else would the Aether suddenly appear at the exact same moment as the Convergence?

She quietly opened the heavy oak doors, squeezing through the gap she made, grabbing a torch off the wall as she went. The archives were kept under ground in relative darkness to protect the precious documents, some dating to well before Bor was King. Her eyes squinted as she scanned the shelves, waving the torch precariously close to the books as she struggled to find the one, she was looking for. Karina felt a victorious feeling rise in her when she spotted the book she was looking for and reached out for it, gently pulling it off the shelf -

"Karina!"

Karina froze, slowly turning around to face her mother. Using her shoulder, she shoved the book back onto the shelf and smiled.

"You know you're not allowed down here without permission," Frigga reprimanded, holding out a hand for Karina to take. Reluctantly, she took her mother's hand, handing her the torch as they made their way out of the archives.

"what were you even looking for?" Frigga asked as the ascended the stairs, carefully putting the torch back in its holder.

Karina sighed, "Father is lying about the Dark Elves being gone, I know he is."

"Karina –"

"No! How else is it that the aether happens to appear around the same time as the occurrence of the Convergence? There must have been a single Dark Elf that escaped or something."

Frigga sighed, halting Karina in her tracks. "Your father did what he had to do to protect you and Asgard – I'm not finished," Frigga said holding up a hand to stop Karina from talking. "Sometimes that has involved lying to you and your brothers an whilst some lies have had dire consequences, some have not." Frigga put a gentle hand on Karina's check, staring at her daughter lovingly, "I know you want to protect your brother and Jane, but you need to let this go." Karina sighed as her mother embraced her, hugging her back tightly.

"Do you," Karina began slowly, withdrawing from the hug, "ever…regret sharing your magic with Loki and I?" It was something she'd been thinking about a lot since New York.

Frigga paused for a moment, thinking. "No," she replied softly as they continued their walk back towards the gardens. "Loki was always overshadowed by your father and Thor and he needed something that was his. And when you came along, a young girl surrounded by boys, I knew that you too needed something.

"I have no regrets, Karina, none. You have become a brilliant young woman, one who won't take no for an answer," Karina laughed, wiping away a stray tear, "and one who cares. Loki has been through so much and been trusted so little that this was the only way he saw fit to escape the shadow."

"It's just," Karina sighed, fiddling with her bracelet, "what if I end up like him?"

"You won't," Frigga assured her. "I admit, we failed Loki as a family, and we might've failed you too. But I know that your friends on Midgard will always be there for you. Whilst we might not be a functional family, I know that no matter what, they will _always_ be there for you."

Karina smiled tearfully at her mother, hugging her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in Frigga's shoulder.

"Come on," Frigga said, "I want to meet Jane."

Karina laughed, linking arms with her mother as they walked to where Thor and Jane had disappeared to.

After asking a few servants, they found the balcony that Thor and Jane had taken shelter on, away from the bustle of the town down below.

"My father doesn't know everything," Thor said as they approached, holding Jane's hand.

"Don't let him hear you say that." Frigga smiled as Jane and Thor turned around, surprised.

"Jane Foster, please meet Frigga, Queen of Asgard. My mother," Thor told Jane. Jane quickly dropped Thor's hand and scooted away from him in embarrassment and Karina let out a laugh.

"Hi," Jane said waving awkwardly.

* * *

They'd been talking to Jane for a while now, the scientist very excited to finally meet Thor's mother who, she'd decided, was a _significantly_ nicer than his Father. As they strolled through the palace, an alarm went off causing all three Asgardians to panic.

"The prison," Frigga said quietly, eyes wide with worry.

"Loki," Thor growled, looking around as guards began running toward the prison.

"Go, we'll look after her," Frigga ordered her son. Thor looked to Karina who gave him a curt nod. Knowing that his mother and sister would protect Jane, he ran on to the balcony, shedding his cloak as he leapt from the edge. He reached out a hand for Mjolnir, grabbing it as it zoomed past him.

Karina quickly to Jane's arm, dragging her further into the palace, Frigga behind them, as they headed towards Frigga's room.

"Send a squadron to the weapons vault," Odin yelled as they turned a corner, coming face to face with him, "defend it at all costs. Seal the dungeon."

"Odin," Frigga called as they walked up to him.

"Frigga," Odin said quietly, walking up to his wife. "It's a skirmish, nothing to fear."

"You've never been a good liar," Frigga told him with a smile, noticing the fear in his eyes.

"Take her to your chambers," Odin ordered them, "I'll come for you when its safe."

More soldiers marched past them, among them Cassian and Sif. Karina locked eyes with Cassian as he passed and he gave her a pointed look. Karina knew what it meant and nodded as Cassian threw her her sword. Karina caught it, mouthing a _thank you_ to him as he walked past.

"Take care," Frigga told her husband, watching him worriedly as he ordered the soldiers to keep moving.

"Despite all that I have survived, my Queen still worries for me." Odin grabbed Frigga's hand.

"It's only because I worry over you that you have survived," Frigga retorted, and Odin smiled as he followed after his soldiers. Karina and Frigga began walking briskly away, Jane following behind them. As they walked past another legion of soldiers, Frigga grabbed a short sword from one of them, holding it tightly.

"Listen to me now," Frigga said lowly as they walked, "I want you to do everything I ask and listen to _everything_ Karina tells you to do – no questions."

"Yes ma'am," Jane replied, glancing around worriedly as they made their way to Frigga's chambers.

* * *

Karina looked up as the doors to Frigga's chamber banged open. As Jane stood up, eyes wide with terror, she moved in front of her friend, sword raised, as Malekith marched into the room. Frigga moved to stand next to Karina, short sword in her hand, as Jane disappeared behind a pillar.

"Stand down, creature, and you may still survive this," Frigga said calmly as she began to face off against Malekith.

"I have survived worse, woman," Malekith growled, glancing to where Jane was hiding.

"Who are you?" Karina called and Malekith's head snapped to face her.

"I am Malekith, and I would have what is mine," he growled, eyeing Jane hungrily. Karina glanced behind her at Jane, knowing that he was clearly after the Aether inside her. She took a step back, moving closer to Jane as Frigga struck Malekith across the face with her sword. Malekith was quick to defend himself, drawing his own sword and blocking Frigga's next attack.

As much as she wanted to help her mother, Karina knew that she had to protect Jane or risk ruining the plan. Frigga managed to disarm Malekith, throwing him against a pillar and pointing her sword at his neck. Karina's eyes widened as Kurse marched into the room, disarming Frigga and lifting her into the air. He pressed his sword against her back in warning as Malekith stalked towards Karina and Jane.

"She has something of mine," Malekith ordered, picking up his weapon and pointing it at Karina's chest. "Give it back."

"Never," Karina growled, raising her sword to meet Malekith's. Her eyes glowed purple as she launched herself at Malekith. The Dark Elf managed to slice Karina's arm with his dagger and she cried out as pain exploded in her arm. A rush of purple shot at Malekith but he dodged it, grabbing Karina's arm and throwing her to the side. Her back hit the wall and she slumped to the floor, winded. Malekith stared at Karina for a moment, eyeing her curiously as she saw her glowing. He nodded slightly, confirming something in his head, before turning back to. He reached out to grab her, but as he did so, she dissolved in front of him. Karina smirked at the rage on Malekith's face as she stumbled to her feet, ready to defend her mother.

"Witch!" Malekith roared as he marched up to Frigga. Karina tried to sneak up on Kurse, only for him to roughly grab her neck with his other hand, holding her captive too. Karina's sword fell to the floor as she tried to free herself, feeling the monster beginning to choke her, but Kurse's grip was unrelenting.

"Where is the Aether?" Malekith snarled at them both, watching as Karina squirmed, trying to free herself.

"We'll never tell," Frigga smirked, trying to delay Malekith a little longer.

"I believe you." Malekith nodded slightly and Kurse dropped Karina to the floor, pulling out his sword and stabbing Frigga in the back. Karina gasped for air, tears falling, as she watched her mother crumple to the floor. She tried to crawl forward but failed, falling next to her mother, reaching out her hand.

She vaguely heard an anguished cry and through her fuzzy vision saw a burst of lightning hit Malekith in the face. But Karina didn't care anymore. She found her mother's hand, holding it tightly as she desperately tried to wake Frigga up. But deep down, Karina knew.

Knew that her mother was dead.

She slumped against the floor, resting her head on the floor, her mother's hand in hers, as Odin walked in.

He stood still in the doorway, starring in shock at his wife and daughter. Slowly, he walked over, scared of what he might find. He gently knelt down next to his wife, closing his eyes in grief when he realised, she was gone. Odin looked to Karina and saw her chest gently rising and falling and felt a glimmer of hope.

Odin gathered Frigga in his arms, careful not to dislodge the grip Karina had on her mother's hand and allowed himself to mourn. Thor stood on the balcony, too deep in shock to know what quite to do. Jane emerged from where she had hidden, stopping when she saw Frigga's body in Odin's arms. For a moment she feared Karina was dead too and slowly walked over, not wanting to disturb the King in his mourning.

Jane gently grabbed Karina's hand, checking for a pulse and sighed in relief when she felt it. "Thor," Jane called quietly, noticing a bright red mark on Karina's neck and a small pool of blood from the cut on her arm. "Thor."

The God looked down at Jane, finally snapping out of his trance and rushing toward Karina. He gently gathered her in his arms, blinking back the tears when he saw her hand holding Frigga's. Thor carefully moved Karina's hand, lifting his unconscious sister into his arms and carried her to the healing room. As they walked through the palace corridors, Thor noticed Jane pulling Cassian to one side probably informing him of what had happened.

Thor glanced back at his lover, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for her as she hurriedly caught up with him, holding open the door to the healing room and stepping aside as Eir rushed up to him, guiding him to a spare bed.

Jane, knowing she was no longer needed, stood in the doorway, watching as Thor hovered protectively over Karina as Eir began mending her arm. She could see his shoulders drop in grief as he released what had happened and she walked up to him, placing a gentle hand on his arm as he turned to face her. Jane smiled sadly at his broken expression, hugging him tightly as they stood by Karina's bedside, protecting her.

* * *

The banks of the waterfront were lined with dozens of Asgardians, waiting to bid their Queen a final goodbye. Among them stood Lady Sif, a glowing orb of light in her hands. All around her, dozens of Asgardians also held an orb, eyes misty with unshed tears. Sif tore her attention way from the water for a second, glancing to where Thor stood with Jane and Karina. The Princess stood at her brother's side; grief evident on her face. She'd been dismissed from the infirmary by Eir merely two hours before and exhaustion was beginning to eat away at her.

Thor had given her his cloak as they made their way to the waterfront. Not the bright red one everyone knew him for, but the black one Karina had given him years ago for his birthday. Karina had buried herself in it, finding comfort in the familiar feel as they stood on the bank. As they stood there, watching as Frigga's boat was pushed out onto the water, Karina found her brother's hand underneath the cloak, holding it tightly as a wave of emotion swept over her, threatening to break the hold she had on her tears.

It wasn't her first funeral – that had been a while ago when Frigga's older sister had died – but it was the first _personal_ funeral that she'd been to. They hadn't thrown one for Loki. Instead, Karina and her mother put a wreath of flowers on the water, setting fire to it and watching it float away. As it turned out, that funeral didn't count.

Out the corner of her eye, Karina saw her father give the signal. A flaming arrow shot over her head, landing in the boat and setting it alight. As Frigga's boat began its short journey, hundreds of lit arrows flew through the air, finding their mark on the hundreds of boats following their queens. The all ignited, burning away as they floated out to the cosmos.

Because Frigga wasn't the only person to die that day.

Karina felt a tear fall down her face and she quickly brushed it away, inhaling shakily as the burning boats floated away. Thor glanced down at her, squeezing her hand tightly as she struggled to keep herself together. He knew she didn't want pity. She simply wanted someone to be there.

As Frigga's boat reached the end of the Asgardian sea, Odin struck his staff on the ground, the thud echoing out over the waterfront. Frigga's spirit soared into the sky, drifting into the galaxy and merging with the stars that the mother and daughter loved so much.

As the hundreds of other boats began their descent, each Asgardian holding an orb of light lifted it into the sky, watching as they floated into the sky like lanterns. Karina's eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she watched the orbs float up into the stars, joining their queen in Valhalla.

It only occurred to Karina several hours later, when she was lying awake in her room, that Loki had no idea.

* * *

Karina sat at the back of the tavern, almost completely empty due to the early hour. Thor sat in front of her, eyes watching her worriedly as she just sat there. Karina looked up, eyes locking onto Thor's, giving him a small smile. Thor smiled back as Heimdall walked in, sitting down next to Karina and putting his helmet on the table in front of them.

"You're not in Odin's war council?" Thor asked quietly as Heimdall leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"The Bifrost is closed by your father's orders," Heimdall said crossing his arms, "no one is to come or to go. We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. What use is a guardian such as that?"

"Malekith will return, you know this," Thor told him, "but I need your help."

"I cannot over-rule my King's wishes," Heimdall reminded him, "not even for you."

"We're not asking you to," Karina said quietly, her voice croaking slightly as she spoke for the first time in days. Both men turned to her as she sat up in her chair. "The Nine Realms need a strong leader who remains unchallenged. But our father is blinded by hatred and grief that he does not see the consequences his actions will have."

"We're all blinded," Heimdall added, beginning to realise what it was they were going to do.

"Well, I see clearly enough," Thor said lowly, eyeing his friend.

"The risks are too great," Heimdall ventured, trying to discourage the idea forming in their brains.

"Everything that we do from here on is a risk, there is no other way," Thor countered.

Heimdall sighed quietly, looking down at the table as he thought over the proposition. "What do you require of me?"

"What I'm – we're – about to ask of you is treason of the highest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he can sense its power. If we do nothing, he will come for it again, but this time lay waste to all of Asgard."

Karina hummed, turning to face Heimdall, "basically we're all committing treason."

Thor sighed tiredly, a fond smile on his face as Heimdall chuckled. Karina smiled back, a sparkle in her eyes that hadn't been there for a while, as they began to plan.

* * *

" _We need to move Jane off-world," Thor began, looking around. They were still in the tavern except for this time, Sif, Fandral and Volstagg had joined them._

" _The Bifrost has been shut down and the Tesseract locked away in the vault," Sif reminded them._

" _There are other paths off Asgard," Heimdall said, "ways known only to a few."_

" _One, actually," Thor and Karina said in unison, given each other a knowing look_

" _No," Volstagg gasped as he realised what they meant._

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Thor asked quietly as the descended the stairs into the dungeons.

"Yes," Karina replied, holding the hem of her dress up, "I trust him. Stupidly, I do."

Thor sighed, pausing just before the doors to the dungeon, and glanced down at his sister. "I trust you."

Karina gave him a small smile as they quietly made their way into the dungeons and towards Loki's cell. She pushed Thor forward, letting him go first.

"Thor," Loki said lowly as he appeared in front of him. "After all this time, and now you come to visit me." Loki turned around to face his brother, "Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?"

"Loki enough," Thor growled, "no more illusions."

Loki sighed, closing his eyes and bowing his head. There was a ripple of magic as the illusion disappeared, revealing Loki sitting on the floor, furniture upturned, books ripped apart and eyes red.

"Now you see me brother," Loki said quietly. Thor walked around to the other side of the barrier, Loki's eyes following him. "Did she suffer?"

"I didn't come here to share our grief," Thor came to a stop opposite his brother, "instead we offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament."

"We?"

Karina stepped out from behind Thor, heels echoing on the tiled floor as Loki's eyes widened. "Hi, Loki," Karina whispered, hands clenched tightly in front of her.

"Karina," Loki breathed, examining her quickly. He noticed the bruises on her neck and the bandage on her arm but dismissed those when he saw her eyes. She was broken. He swallowed, sitting up properly against the wall and turned to Thor. "Tell me of this plan."

"I know you seek vengeance as much as we do," Thor began, "you help me escape Asgard and I will grant it to you; vengeance."

"And then this cell," Karina finished softly.

"You must be _truly_ desperate to come to me for help," Loki said, eyeing his siblings carefully, "what makes you think you can trust me?"

"I don't," Thor interrupted, "Karina does. And mother did." Thor shifted on his feet, wanting to hurry the conversation up.

Loki blinked at his brother's words, looking to Karina to confirm what he said. She nodded and Loki rested his head against the wall.

"But you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with the glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you." Thor stood to his full height, glaring at Loki, "you betray me, and I will kill you."

"And then I'll kill you too," Karina added, crossing her arms.

Loki smiled, eyes glinting with a menacing look as he met his sister's gaze. "When do we start?"

* * *

" _He will betray you," Fandral said, his toning obviously advising against the suicidal plan._

" _He will try," Karina confirmed, a glimmer of a smirk on her face._

* * *

Karina was internally cursing her decision to trust Loki. He'd been freed from his cell for less than five minutes and _had not_ shut up once.

"This is so unlike you, brother," Loki said, practically jumping up and down at the prospect of being allowed vengeance. "So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out? Or stab, in Karina's case."

"If you keep speaking I just might," Thor grumbled, looking around, checking the any guards.

"Fine, as you wish," Loki sighed, "I'm not even here."

Karina rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatedly as Loki transformed himself into one of the guards. She was beginning to regret her decision to trust him.

"Is this better," Loki asked, a smirk on his face.

"It's better company at least," Thor replied, eyeing Loki out the corner of his eye.

"Still we could be less conspicuous." Loki transformed back into himself and Karina sniggered as he transformed Thor into Sif. Thor – well, Sif – glared at Karina, who laughed even harder and sighed.

"Mmm, brother, you look ravishing," Loki complimented, eyes raking over Thor's feminine body.

"It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form," Thor muttered, swatting Karina as she kept giggling.

"Very well," Loki sighed, "perhaps you prefer one of your new companions, given that you seem to like them so much."

Karina laughed even harder when Loki transformed himself into Steve. Thor glanced at her, rolling his eyes when wiped away the tears that were forming.

"Oh, this is much better," Loki exclaimed, and Karina's eyes widened when she realised it was actually Steve's voice. "Woah, the costume's a bit much, it's so tight!" Loki looked down, examining himself, swinging the shield around and Karina had to stifle her laughter, trying to attract any attention. "But the confidence! I can feel the righteousness surging!" He spun on his heels and Karina giggled, ignoring the ache in her chest for her friends, as Loki carried on talking, "Hey, wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honour, patriotism? God bless America –"

Thor suddenly grabbed a hold of Loki, dragging Karina with him, and slammed him into a nearby pillar, putting a hand on his mouth. Karina stumbled, catching herself on Loki's arm as she hid behind the pillar.

"What?" Loki spat, glaring. Thor turned to where two guards marched past them, footsteps echoing throughout the plaza. "You can at least furnish me with a weapon," Loki complained, looking between the two siblings, "my dagger, something!"

Thor glanced to Karina. Karina nodded and Thor sighed, handing Loki a piece of metal.

"At last, a little common sense…" Loki sighed as he held up his handcuffed hands. Karina chuckled quietly at the disgusted look on his face.

"I thought you liked tricks," Thor commented, smirking. "It was Karina's idea."

Loki turned his glare to his sister, who chuckled, skipping off ahead of the brothers. Thor laughed, dragging Loki along with him as the continued onwards.

* * *

" _But what then?" Fandral asked, "your lovely mortal is being guarded by a legion of guards who will see you coming from miles away."_

" _I won't be the one who comes for her," Thor said slowly, looking at Sif and Karina. "Karina goes in first – a friendly face and all – and then Sif knocks out the guards and, tada."_

 _Karina rolled her eyes at Thor futile attempt at explain. "And," she began, drawing the table's attention to her, "I've got a friend on the inside."_

* * *

" _You'll be committing treason, Cassian."_

 _The two of them were standing in behind a pillar, whispering quietly about Thor's plan. The last time she'd seen Cassian since the invasion, he'd been in the infirmary, sitting by his lover's bedside._

" _To save Asgard from total ruin," Cassian replied, leaning on the pillar._

 _Karina sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You'll be exiled."_

 _Cassian shrugged, "A week ago I would be saying no, but I lost too much in that invasion to let it happen again." His shoulder's slumped and Karina put a hand on his arm, rubbing it gently._

" _I'm sorry," she said quietly, "for what happened to Mathieu."_

 _Cassian laughed tearfully, "It really felt like he was my soulmate. And then this happened," he gestured around at the piles of rubble and glass, "and it was ripped away from me."_

 _Karina gripped Cassian's hand in hers. "I'll get vengeance for Mathieu."_

 _Cassian blinked at her, a stray tear falling down his tired face. "Really?"_

" _Whatever it takes."_

* * *

Karina nodded politely to the guards standing outside Jane's room as she approached. One of them opened the door and Karina disappeared inside, shutting it behind her. Jane stood up in shock as she noticed Karina appear in her room and walked towards her.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking her friend over, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Karina said, waving her concern away. "We're getting out of here. Sif's coming in a minute, but I need Cassian to -" she turned to Jane, eyebrows furrowing in concern when she noticed her eyes glowing red. "Jane?"

Jane jumped violently, shaking her head furiously, "I'm fine," she muttered, rubbing her face. "What's happening?"

"Cassian and Sif are distracting the guards and we," she said, grabbing Jane's jacket and throwing it to her, "are going to escape."

"How?" Jane asked as she pulled on her jacket, untucking her hair from under the collar.

"You'll see," Karina said, smiling knowingly as Sif slammed open the door, a guard falling unconscious at her feet.

"Let's go," Sif ordered, titling her head to the door. Karina hurried Jane out the door, smiling at Cassian, who was hurrying the other way, as she passed. He turned on his heel, saluting her and disappeared around the corner, heading to stop the onslaught of soldiers heading their way.

They ducked behind pillars, avoiding the guards looking for them and made their way to the corridor where Thor and Loki were waiting. Jane had a hand on Karina's waist as they came to a halt in front of the gods and Karina was leaning on the woman, struggling to stay standing.

"You're –"

Loki smirked, "I'm Loki," he said, interrupting Jane before she could finish. "You may have heard of me."

Jane smacked Loki across the face and Karina chuckled softly, closing her eyes as pain lanced through her head.

"That was for New York," Jane told him, pulling her jacket down as Loki looked back at her and smiled.

"I like her," Loki chuckled. Karina rolled her eyes, smacking her brother on the shoulder.

* * *

" _And what of the Allfather?" Sif asked, picking up on the one thing the siblings had missed out._

" _It is my sworn duty to notify him of crims against authority," Heimdall informed them, his orange eyes glowing._

* * *

"You called me here on an urgent matter," Odin said as he marched in to the Observatory, "what is it?"

"Treason, my lord," Heimdall replied, turning to face his king.

Odin sighed, glancing at the guards standing behind him. "Whose?"

"Mine," Heimdall replied, pulling his sword out of the control panel. The guards surrounding Odin moved forward, halting when Heimdall surrendered it up. There was a flurry of movement as Tyr, Captain of the Guard, entered.

"My king, the mortal has been taken," Tyr said breathlessly. Tyr turned to look at Heimdall and Odin followed his gaze, realisation dawning on in his face.

"Stop Thor and Karina," Odin said quietly, turning to face Tyr, "by any means necessary."

 _Line break_

Karina hurried behind Jane, sword in hand, as they made their way to the ship. Jane was still woozy from the Aether and stumbled every so often

"There they are!"

All five of them turned as a legion of guards found them and began running towards them. Thor took a step towards the legion, but Sif put a hand on his arm.

"Go, I've got this," she told them, nodding to the ship.

Thor nodded, "Thank you." Thor ushered Jane ahead of him, making sure Karina was following and began heading to the ship.

Loki moved to follow them, but Sif put her sword to his throat. "Betray him, and I'll kill you," Sif told him threateningly.

"It's good to see you too, Sif," Loki laughed, sauntering after his siblings.

* * *

" _Assuming you can get Loki's help," Volstagg began, "and you can free this mortal, what good would it do?" He scoffed, shaking his head, "we'd be dead the minute we step one foot outside the palace."_

 _Thor smiled, "that, my friend, is why we won't be leaving by foot."_

* * *

Karina was astounded by how much of a mess the Dark Elf invasion had caused to the throne room. The ship had crashed in the middle of the room, pillars and rubble strewn all over the floor and glass crunched under foot as they walked. Volstagg and Cassian stood in the middle of the room waiting for them.

"I will give you as much time as I can," Volstagg told them, patting Thor on the back as he passed.

"Thank you, my friend," Thor replied, ushering Jane on to the ship.

"Thank you," Karina whispered, standing on her tip toes to hug Cassian.

"Whatever it takes," he whispered, hugging her back tightly.

"Whatever it takes," Karina repeated firmly, taking in her friend on last time.

She took a step back, waiting for Loki to pass, chuckling quietly and hiding a smile, when Volstagg grabbed his arm, pulled him to one side.

"If you even think about betraying him – "

"You'll kill me?" Loki guessed, tilting his head. "Evidently there will be a line."

Volstagg shoved Loki, giving Karina a cheeky wink as she passed, and sighed, gripping his axe tightly as he watched his friends board the ship. He turned to Cassian, giving him a curt nod which the commander returned.

Thor held out a hand as Karina clambered into the ship, holding her dress up with one hand. She took it grateful, grunting as he pulled her up and inside the ship. Karina quickly pulled her dress off, throwing it to one side, revealing her armour and sword underneath.

"Was that there all this time?" Jane asked, looking at the sword in awe.

Karina nodded, pulling the ship door shut as Thor began pressing random buttons on the control panel.

"I thought you said you knew how to fly this thing," Loki questioned, watching Thor smack a particular button.

"I said 'how hard could it be?'" Thor replied, glaring at his brother.

"Evidently very hard," Karina smirked standing in between her brother's. Thor turned his glare to her and Karina laughed, raising her hands in mock surrender.

All eye turned to the door as there was a distinct roar followed by the sound of metal clashing as the guards finally caught up with them. Karina felt a sense of guilt at the thought of Cassian being arrested and exiled, but swallowed it away, focusing on the current situation.

"Well, whatever you're doing, brother, I suggest you do it faster," Loki muttered, glancing around uneasily.

"Shut up, Loki," Thor growled, still pushing random buttons.

"He has a point," Karina pointed out, raising her eyebrows.

"Both of you, _shut up_ ," Thor ordered, smacking the control panel in anger.

"You must have missed something," Loki sighed, looking down at the panel.

"No, I didn't," Thor insisted, hitting the buttons again, "I'm pressing every button on this thing."

"No, don't hit it. Just press it gently."

"I don't think he's capable of that."

" _Shut up,_ I am pressing it gently! It's not working!"

Thor smacked the panel hard and let out a triumph 'aha' as the ship whirred into life and a the lights flickered on.

"Of course, brute force worked," Karina muttered, rolling her eyes as Thor began to try and pilot the ship. "Anytime today, Thor!"

"Will you be quiet?" Thor hissed as he _finally_ figured out the controls for the ship. Karina felt it judder as it slowly began to rotate and heard a distinct rumble as Thor took out the remaining columns lining the throne room.

"I think you missed a column," Loki quipped, smirking.

"Shut up!" Thor growled, tapping furiously on the panel as the ship took off, smashing through the back window.

Karina cursed quietly as Thor flew them into something, stumbling into Loki as she tried to regain her balance.

"Look," Loki began as he helped Karina up, holding onto her shoulder, "why don't you let me of take over? I'm clearly the best pilot."

"Is that right?" Thor asked, not looking away from the screen as he dodged another building. "Well, out of the two of us, which one can actually fly?"

"Evidently you can't!" Karina exclaimed, holding onto Loki as a tremor rocked the ship. Thor sighed, spinning the ship through a tight bend as the guards chased behind them in the sky boats, firing at them.

"Oh dear," Loki drawled as Jane fainted, falling to the floor. "Is she dead?"

Karina smacked her brother, giving him a warning look as Thor checked on Jane. She waved off his concern, but Karina could see the distinct red glow under her skin and knew they were running out of time.

Thor turned his attention back to the screen, narrowly avoiding the top of a building as he swerved away from the Sky Boat following them. He turned back only to swoop too close to another building, taking the top spire off it.

"Not a word," Thor grumbled as both of his siblings opened their mouths to critic his driving.

"Now they're following us," Loki commented, noticing the presence of four Sky Boats behind them. Which then preceded to fire at them. "Now they're firing at us!"

"Yes, thank you, for the commentary, Loki, it's not at all distracting!" Thor yelled.

"He has a point," Karina said, shrugging. Thor glanced at his sister and gave her a pointed look which meant _shut the hell up._ The glance proved a mistake as Thor accidentally turned the ship too far left, decapitating the statue of King Bor that stood outside the viaduct.

"Well done," Loki scolded, "you've just decapitated your grandfather."

Thor waved a hand behind him, smacking Loki on the arm, as he pulled the ship parallel to the bridge that led to the mountains.

"You know," Loki began, clasping his handcuffed hands together, "this is wonderful. This is a tremendous idea. Let's steal the biggest, most obvious ship in the universe and escape in that!" Karina rolled her eyes as her brother began walking about, "Flying around the city, smashing into everything in sight so everyone can see us. It's brilliant Thor! Truly brilliant!"

Karina let out a shocked gasp as Thor opened the door and pushed his brother out of it. Loki let a shriek as he fell through the air and Karina turned to her brother.

"Really?" She asked, gesturing to the door, "Was that strictly necessary?"

"What?" Thor asked as he lifted Jane into his arms, holding his hammer tightly, and made his way to the door. "He was annoying me."

Karina rolled her eyes, jumping out of the ship after Loki. Her stomach jolted as she jumped, the wind screaming in her ears as she fell through the air, her hair whipping at her face. Karina groaned as she landed in the skiff Fandral was piloting, losing her footing as he turned and falling to her knees.

"Sorry!" Fandral called as Thor landed beside her, Jane in his arms. Karina stumbled to her feet, waving off Fandral's apology as Thor laid Jane down at the front of the skiff.

"I see your time in the dungeons has made you no les graceful, Loki," Fandral laughed as Loki clambered to his feet, dusting himself down.

Loki ignored the warrior, looking up to where the Dark Elf ship veered right, the Sky Boats following after it. "You lied to me," Loki said, looking to his brother, "I'm impressed."

"I'm glad you're pleased," Thor replied, standing up and moving next to Karina, "now do was you promised."

Loki nodded, taking the tiller from Fandral and began steering them to the secret pathway. Karina smiled softly as Loki began grinning in genuine glee, his eyes sparkling with happiness at the temporary freedom.

"Uh, Thor," Karina called out as she noticed two Sky Boats following them as Loki raised the ship up in line with the pathway.

"Fandral," Thor called, and the warrior nodded.

"Right, for Asgard," he said taking hold of a rope and dropping off the edge of the boat, landing in the skiff pursing them.

Knowing that Fandral had the guards handled, Karina turned her attention back to the cliff face in front of them. And the tiny cave that they were hurtling towards.

"Loki," Thor yelled warningly, a hand coming to rest on Jane's shoulder as the cave approached. Karina crouched down too, holding on to the side of the boat tightly as it got closer.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it," Loki replied, carefully manoeuvring the ship so that it lined up _exactly_ with the cave.

"Are you mad?" Thor yelled, eyes flicking frantically from the cave to Jane.

"Possibly."

"I think you mean yes."

Loki took a second to glare at his sister as they entered the cave. The passage was so narrow the sides of it scraped the wall, sparks flying. But as they flew further into the cave, the sparks were replaced by crystals, the same colour and texture as what the Bifrost was made from. As they began to pick up more speed, the darkness of the cave was replaced by the bright, rainbow light of the Bifrost and everything blurred together.

There was a loud bang and a thud as the skiff left the cave and bounced off the black sand that was Svartalfheim.

"Tada," Loki sang, slowing the boat down. Karina groaned as she sat up from where she'd fallen onto the floor, glaring at her brother. Loki simply smiled in return, winking at her.

* * *

 **A/N: That's all for now. I've got an art exam this week so god knows when I'm going to update again.**

 **I know exactly what Karina's going to be doing in Infinity War, Endgame, however, not so much...I have two, possibly three options but I really need to see Far From Home before I decide.**

 **Karina: is he crying?**

 **Clint: a little.**

 **Karina: you should be wailing you, stone-cold bitch!**

 **Karina: Now call my other brother**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm back! Welcome to chapter 13, aka everything goes to shit**

* * *

Karina rested her head on the side of the ship, legs spread out on top of the cushions on the floor. Her sword lay on the floor next to her, glowing ever so slightly in the dark light of Svartalfheim as they made their way across the sand dunes. She looked up as Thor came over, gently placing a blanket over Jane and giving her shoulder a squeeze. Thor smiled down at his sister and Karina returned it, resting her arms on the side of the boat as she looked out across the sand.

"What I could do with the power that flows through those veins," he muttered quietly, watching Jane sleep.

"It would consume you," Thor reminded him, standing up.

"She's holding up alright," Loki noted, "for now."

"She's strong in ways you'd never even know," Thor said firmly, a hint of protectiveness in his voice.

"Say goodbye."

"Not this day," Thor growled, storming up to Loki. Karina turned away from the landscape, watching her brother's carefully, sensing the start of a fight.

"This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing," Loki sneered, "You'll never be ready. The only woman whose love you prized will be snatched from you."

"And will that satisfy you?" Thor demanded, glowering as he walked away, standing next to Jane.

"Satisfaction is not in my nature," Loki replied coolly.

"Surrender is not in mine."

"The son of Odin –"

"No," Thor snapped, turning his head to face his brother, "not just of Odin." He took a step towards Loki. "You think you alone were loved of Mother? You and Karina had her tricks, but I had her trust."

Karina rolled her eyes, ignoring the stinging feeling at Thor's words as her brother's began to quarrel. She was expecting it really.

"Trust?" Loki snarled, taking a step closer to his brother. "Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die?"

"Hey!" Karina yelled, groaning in frustration when they ignored her, raising their voices.

"What help were you in your cell?" Thor growled.

"Who put me there?" Loki yelled. "Who put me there?!" Loki launched himself at Thor who simply knocked Loki away.

"You know damn well," Thor cried, grabbing Loki's collar and shaking him, "you know damn well who!"

Karina stood up, quickly moving to stand in between the two brothers. "Boys!" She yelled, putting a hand on Thor's chest and pushing him away from Loki. "That is enough." She looked at both of them, watching Thor as he stalked away. "She wouldn't want us to fight," she said softly. "Although I doubt, she'd be that surprised."

Loki looked at his sister and laughed half-heartedly. "No, she wouldn't," he said quietly, sitting down next to the tiller.

"The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go back to hating each other," Karina said slowly, seeing the tension in Thor's shoulders. "But until then, we need to _try_ and trust one another."

Thor sighed, turning to face his two siblings. "I wish I could trust you," he said, looking at Loki. He quickly looked away; guilt evident on his face at the fact.

Loki stood up and took a step closer to his brother.

"Trust my rage."

* * *

They'd been flying over Svartalfheim for what felt like an hour now and there was still no sign of Malekith. Karina had sat back down after her brother's fight, resting her head on Thor's shoulder when he sat down next to her. Loki had kept quiet, silently steering their skiff over the plains as they waited.

"Jane?"

Karina lifted her head of Thor's shoulder at his call and looked at Jane. The woman has finally awoken, and her eyes were a brilliant blue. Almost the same blue as Malekith's.

"Jane?" Karina called again, looking between her friend and the sky. She glanced back at Loki who was also scanning the sky for any sign of the Dark Elf leader.

"Malekith," Jane whispered as the ship she could sense finally broke through the clouds, looming over the landscape.

Karina gulped, grabbing her sword from beside her and sheathing it behind her back. Loki quickly landed the skiff on the hill above where the ship had landed and jumped out. Thor followed, helping an exhausted Jane step down as the wind began battering them. Karina followed, landing elegantly on the sand and following after Thor, Loki beside her.

They stood at the top of the hill, watching as Malekith, Kurse and the remaining Dark Elves marched off their ship and onto the large, sandy plain below them.

"All right," Thor said, looking at between Jane and his siblings, "are you ready?"

Jane nodded, rubbing her hands together nervously as the Elves approached.

"I am," Loki confirmed, looking to Karina. Karina nodded, hands shaking as the wind began biting her skin. She took a step away from the hill, hugging herself tightly as the wind picked up. The strands of hair that had fallen out of her braid whipped her in the face and she brushed them back roughly as Loki and Thor came over.

"You know," Loki said as they stopped next to Karina, "this plan of yours is going to get us killed?"

"Yes," Thor sighed, watching as Malekith stopped and stared up at them, "possibly."

Loki hummed quietly, holding up his cuffed wrists. Thor hesitated and Loki sighed. "You still don't trust me, brother?"

"Would you?" Thor asked as he released Loki from the handcuffs, throwing them to the side.

"No," Loki said slowly as Thor walked back to Jane, standing next to Karina, "I wouldn't."

Karina vaguely heard Jane scream as Loki stabbed Thor with his dagger, flinging him down the hill they were on top of. She turned on her heel, sword raised to hit Loki. Only to freeze when a sharp pain hit her side. Karina stumbled back numbly, shaking hand moving to her side.

She let out a quiet gasp as blood came away, eyes raising to meet Loki's. Karina could see the regret in his eyes as her knees gave way and she fell down the hill after her brother. It was a blur of black and dark green as Karina rolled down the hill, her mind was still at the top of the hill as she rolled to a stop a few feet away from Thor. The shock had set in and she laid there numbly, hand covered in blood.

"Do you really think I cared about Frigga?" Loki growled, storming over to Thor and kicking him onto his back. "About anybody? All I ever wanted was you and Odin, dead at my feet!"

Karina whimpered quietly, weakly lifting her head as Thor reached out his hand for Mjolnir. She heard her brother roar in pain as Loki cut his hand off with his dagger and her head fell back to the ground with a thud, numb.

Loki smirked, grabbing Jane and dragging her over to where Malekith had stopped to watch the fight. "Malekith!" Loki yelled, his grip firm on Jane's arm despite the woman's desperate attempts to free herself. "I am Loki of Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift!"

He threw Jane at Malekith's feet and the Dark Elf looked down at the woman in disgust as Loki continued.

"I ask only one thing in return," Loki smirked, "a good seat from which to watch Asgard burn."

Kurse grunted something to Malekith in Elvish and the leader walked over to Thor, nudging him onto his back. Thor groaned as he rolled over, holding his hand close to his chest. Malekith slowly raised an arm into the air and Jane began to levitate into the air. Karina forced herself to sit up slightly, panting through the pain radiating from her side, as Malekith began to draw the Aether from Jane.

It was weird, seeing the red pouring from Jane. It was neither liquid or solid and just floated in the air, rippling. Jane fell to the ground with a thud as the last of the Aether left her body, floating in the air above her.

"Loki! Now!"

Karina jumped to her feet, sword flying to her hand, as Loki reversed his spell. Thor glimmered green as his hand re-appeared and his armour appeared. Karina skidded on her knees over to Jane, sheltering the woman as Thor raised Mjolnir to the sky, lightning meeting the hammer. Karina looked up as a shadow fell across them, eyes widening in surprise as Loki threw himself over the two women, protecting them the bright light of Thor's lightning.

The Aether shattered into thousands of pieces, falling to the floor around them. Loki sat back on his haunches, pulling Karina up from the floor as Thor panted from the effort it'd taken him to blow the Aether to pieces.

"Oh my god," Karina whispered as the Aether floated up from the floor, re-assembling itself in front of their eyes. As it re-assembled, it floated towards Malekith who was standing still, arms outstretched as he welcomed the power of the Aether inside him. His blue eyes turned a solid black as the last of the Aether entered his body and the Dark Elf let out a content sigh.

Malekith glanced at Kurse as he turned away and began heading back to his ship, a silent message conveyed from Leader to soldier. Kurse grunted, nodding to the Dark Elves surrounding them and followed after his leader. Thor growled as three Dark Elves marched up to him and he made quick work of them, knocking them all down with his hammer.

Karina saw it a fraction after her brother. Kurse threw a black hole grenade at them and it landed a few feet from where they were standing. Loki's eyes widened in horror and he acted on pure instinct, shoving Jane and Karina to the side as the grenade exploded and a black hole appeared in front of them.

Loki was sucked into it as he tried to throw himself out of the way and Karina felt her breath leave her as her brother floated there for a moment. _Not again,_ Karina thought silently as she struggled to her feet, the black hole trying to suck her in too. But just as Karina thought Loki was gone, Thor came out of nowhere, tackling his brother to the ground as the black hole absorbed itself, disappearing from before their eyes.

Karina quickly scrambled over to her brother's, falling down beside Loki as he stared at Thor in shock. Loki accepted Karina's hand up and neither said anything as their attention turned to the Dark Elf ship looming in the distance. Malekith was almost on board – Kurse right behind him – with the Aether and all three of the Odinson siblings knew that they had to try and stop him. Thor glanced briefly to Karina and the goddess nodded, giving Thor permission.

Thor spun his hammer around and took off after Malekith leaving Karina and Loki alone.

"Stay there," Karina yelled at Jane as a group of Dark Elves began walking towards them. Jane nodded, scooting slightly further away, looking on in fear

Karina looked to her brother. Their eyes met for a second and Loki nodded, gripping his dagger tightly. They moved to stand back to back, Karina, holding her sword tightly as purple began to surround her. The Dark Elves stopped a few feet away from them, unsure of what was happening.

The siblings made the first move.

It was like a ballet of death. Karina and Loki knew how the other fought so well, knew every move, every stance, every defence. Together they were a flurry of death, killing the Dark Elves quickly and efficiently. Karina sliced on across the face, kicking him in the chest and pushing over to Loki who quickly slit his throat, letting his body fall to the ground.

It wasn't long before the group of Elves were dead at their feet.

Karina and Loki smiled at each other, panting slightly from the fight. Karina chuckled as she twirled her sword in her hand, glancing over at Jane briefly to make sure she was alright. Up ahead, Thor was in a losing battle with Kurse, the devil giant having the upper hand after throwing a large rock plinth at his head.

Loki looked to his sister for a moment, a feeling of pride over-taking his anger at the look of sheer determination on her face as they began walking over to Kurse and Thor. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Karina made the first move. She launched into a run, sword in hand, and vaulted off a rock, throwing herself at Kurse's back. She knew he'd feel her coming and her suspicions were confirmed when he grabbed her by the neck in mid-air and threw her into the rocky cliff face behind Thor. Prepared, Karina slammed her sword into the ground to stop her crashing into the rocks and she skidded to a halt on her knees, panting. Kurse frowned when he saw Karina smirking with glee as she slowly stood up.

Karina, was, after all, just the distraction.

Loki was the true attack.

He impaled Kurse on an abandoned Dark Elf blade he'd found on the ground, smirking victoriously as the monster slowly turned around, staggering. He stared at Loki for a split second before grabbing him and pulling him forward, impaling him on the same blade.

Karina felt herself scream as Kurse pushed Loki off the blade, sending him crashing to the ground. Kurse stalked towards Loki, the blade still sticking out of him as the god laid on the floor, shaking.

Loki smirked, as Kurse stood above him. "See you in hell, monster," he spat. Kurse frowned, realisation dawning on his face as an erratic beeping sounded from his belt. He tried to grab it off his belt, but the grenade exploded, engulfing the monster in a black hole. Kurse roared violently, trying to throw himself out of the black hole as it tore him to pieces, squashing him into a small ball of rock.

Almost as soon as the black hole appeared, it disappeared, taking Kurse with it. The violent wind died down slightly, but a storm was approaching, whipping up the sand dunes around them.

Karina ran over to Loki, falling to her knees beside him as he groaned in pain, his skin slowly losing colour and beginning to turn a rocky grey as the poison began to take hold. She tried to put pressure on the gaping wound, her hands quickly becoming slick with blood as Thor fell down opposite Karina.

"No, no, no," Thor muttered as he gently gathered Loki in his arms, looking down at Karina's bloodied hands. "Oh, you fool, you didn't listen."

"I know," Loki gasped, hands clenching Karina's arm tightly as the pain began to overwhelm him. "I'm a fool."

"Stay with me, okay," Thor whispered, holding Loki's face between his hands.

"I'm sorry," Loki whispered, glancing to his sister as she let out a broken sob. "I'm sorry."

Karina shook her head, "It's not your fault," she replied quietly, sniffing. Loki groaned, his shaking hand finding Karina's and holding it tightly. "It's okay," she cried, "it's okay."

"It's all right," Thor said quietly as Loki stopped shaking, a calm, peaceful expression over-taking over the previous pain-filled one. "I'll tell Father what you did here today."

Loki shook his head, "I didn't do it for him," he whispered, his eyes meeting Karina's one last time as the strong grip he had on her blood-stained hand disappeared and his body went limp.

Karina was vaguely aware of Thor crying out in anguish, cradling his dead brother's body, but all she could do was stare at the blood on her hands and her brother's dead body. Her _dead brother's blood._

She'd seen him die once. He'd let go of her hand and fell into space. His devastated face, as he fell, was still engraved in her mind, a nightmare she'd almost overcome when he'd turned up alive and relatively in one piece. Then the new nightmare occurred. One made up of Chitauri flooding through that _goddamn_ portal and seeing Tony fly into the portal, missile on his shoulders, only just making it out alive.

Now? Now, it was her brother dying in her arms, again. His blood slick on her hands as she tried, yet failed, to save his life. It was her mother, dying in front of her as they tried to protect Jane. And somehow, she had to stand up, wipe off the blood and carry on.

"Karina, we need to go," Thor said gently as the wind began to pick up, sand swirling around at their feet. Karina's eyes still hadn't left Loki's body, her eyes stinging furiously. "Karina."

"Yeah," Karina muttered, forcing herself to blink. She looked down at the blood on her hands and wiped her hands on her pant legs, trying to get it off. Karina slowly stood up, breathing in shakily as she did so.

Thor handed Karina her sword and she took it silently, sheathing it in its scabbard behind her back. Karina shielded her eyes as they began walking towards some form of shelter, the winds whipping their clothes and hair as they went. Thor wrapped an arm around Jane's waist, helping the woman stay upright in the fierce winds as they tried to climb up the hill.

Eventually, Thor spotted what appeared to be the mouth of a cave within the cliff face and all three of them quickly hurried inside the cave, the storm almost on top of them. The cave was pitch black until Karina summoned a ball of fire, illuminating the cave with a purple glow. She tried to ignore the drying blood still on her hands.

"He's gonna unleash it," Jane said as they clambered over a pile of loose rocks, making their way further into the cave. Thor held out a hand to Karina, helping her over a particularly large boulder, her ball of fire floating ahead of them.

"I'm assuming his plans have moved on from just Asgard?" Karina called, stumbling slightly on a loose rock.

Jane nodded, "He's going to destroy _everything_."

"How?" Thor asked as they came to a halt in the middle of the cave, Karina's purple ball of fire bobbing up and down slowly in the air. "Jane, how?"

"I saw him on Earth," Jane explained slowly, trying to remember what she'd seen. "Why would he go to Earth?"

"The Convergence," Thor and Karina said in unison.

"God," Jane moaned, sitting down on a rock with a thud. "None of this would've happened if I hadn't found the Aether."

Karina sighed, sitting down next to her friend. "Yes, it would've done. Malekith has been planning this for centuries, waiting for the next convergence to occur so that he could try and conquer the worlds. None of this is your fault."

Jane laughed quietly, "I only found it because I was looking for you," she said, looking to Thor. Karina smiled softly, standing up and moving away slightly to give her brother some space.

"Jane," Thor said quietly, a sad smile on his face.

"And now we're stuck in this cave!" Jane exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in despair.

Karina jumped slightly when a phone started ringing, its obnoxious tone breaking through the howling wind from outside the cave. Jane looked between Thor and Karina, the latter shrugging.

"I don't have one," Karina informed Jane, mystified as to where it was coming from.

"It's…not me," Thor said slowly, puzzled.

It was almost as if a lightbulb went off in Jane's head. Her eye widened and she began rummaging around in her jacket pockets, letting out a triumph _'aha'_ when she found what she was looking for. The noise got louder as Jane pulled out her phone, flipping it open and pressing the answer button.

"Hello?" Jane asked, eyes wide as she looked around the cave.

" _Hi Jane, it's Richard."_

"Richard!" Jane exclaimed, "where are you?"

 _Richard?_ Karina mouthed, laughing quietly when Jane waved her off, holding the phone out of her reach.

" _I'm still in the office. It's been a crazy day here today."_

Jane began walking around the cave, holding her phone up in the air, wafting it about. Karina knew a bit about technology thanks to the numerous books in the library on Asgard as well as the crash course Tony gave her when she was helping them find the cube. She was amazed at the fact that it was still working on a different planet, let alone having any signal to accept a phone call.

"My god this is amazing!" Jane exclaimed, standing on top of a rock and staring at her phone in amazement.

" _Is it? I quite enjoyed our lunch despite never actually ordering anything."_

"How am I getting service here?" Jane asked, starring at the bars of signal on her phone.

"Beyond me," Karina replied, walking over to Jane and looking at the phone. Three bars of service.

" _Is this a bad time?"_ Richard asked, his voice crackling over the phone, _"do you want me to try later?"_

"No, no, no!" Jane exclaimed, holding the phone to her ear again, "whatever you do, do not hang up the phone."

Karina hid a snigger at the oblivious Richard on the other end of the phone and the confused look on Thor's face.

" _Okay then,"_ Richard said, a suspicious undertone to his voice. _"I was just wondering if you wanna try again? Uh, maybe dinner next time?"_

"Uh, yeah, yeah, just stay on the phone okay?" Jane said, paying no attention to Richard.

" _Yeah, I will."_

Jane stopped her pacing, staring in awe at a soda can on the ground. "Oh my god," she whispered, picking it up. Jane let out a shocked gasp when she saw a pair of car keys on the floor, throwing the can to the side and picking them up

" _Am I interrupting something?"_ Richard asked, his voice crackling as Jane headed further into the cave.

"No, no, no, nothing at all," Jane said. She turned to Karina and Thor, waving at them, "Come on!"

" _I'm losing you there,"_ Richard said, voice cutting off at the end, _"are you in a tunnel?"_

"More like an alien cave," Karina muttered, frowning at how many empty and squished soda cans there were on the floor.

"Wait, where are we going?" Thor asked as Jane led them further into the cave, Karina's fireball barely lighting the way.

" _Hello?"_

"Why are there so many shoes in here?" Thor asked, looking down at the ground, all of them ignoring Richard on the other end of the phone. Karina felt discombobulated for a second as they left the cave and emerged out the other side.

In an abandoned trailer park.

"Uh, what?" Karina said, looking around in confusion. She spun on her heel, looking back at where they'd just come from, frowning. "What?" Karina turned around again, running after her brother and Jane as they headed towards a red car which had its windows smashed in and a weird accumulation of graffiti on the bonnet and doors.

Karina pulled open the back door, brushing the chunks of glass off the back seat. She unsheathed her sword, setting it down on the seat next to her and slid in, shutting the door behind her. The whole car jolted as Thor struggled to squeeze himself inside the tiny car, sitting squashed in the passenger seat, much to Karina's amusement.

"So," Karina drawled, leaning forward with a smirk, "who's Richard?"

"Oh, shut up," Jane grumbled, shoving the car into first gear and taking off out of the abandoned trailer park.

* * *

After being driven around London in what Karina could only describe as 'rally car' style, Karina was very grateful when Jane finally turned left down a quiet street, pulling up on the right opposite an apartment block. Karina frowned as she stepped out of the car, grabbing her sword and dusting stray chunks of glass off her cloak, and looked around. The sound of cars from the main road could only just be heard and there were hardly any lining the pavement. Jane led them to the apartment block door, unlocking it with her keys and holding the door open for them.

"I'm on the third floor," Jane said as she hurriedly walked down the corridor, "and the elevator isn't working so…"

"Great, stairs," Karina said tiredly, grabbing on to the railings, using it to pull herself up the stairs. Thor chuckled quietly behind her as they ascended the stairs, turning right into the third-floor corridor. Jane stopped in front of apartment 21B and quickly unlocked the door, letting it swing open. She hurried inside, leaving Thor and Karina standing in the doorway awkwardly.

Thor shuffled his feet and Karina sighed, brushing past him and into the hallway. She set her sword against the wall and followed Jane into the main room.

"Really?" Karina asked, watching as Thor hung Mjolnir on a coat hook.

"What?" Thor shrugged, closing the door behind him and following after an exasperated Karina.

"Jane!" Darcy exclaimed, jumping up from the sofa and rushing over to her friend.

"Hey," Jane replied, pulling her coat off and flinging it on the back of a nearby chair.

"You can't just leave like that," Darcy said as she began pacing, "the whole world is going crazy. All the stuff we saw is spreading –"Darcy stopped her rant as she finally took in what Jane was wearing. "Did you go to a party?"

"Erik!" Jane exclaimed, rushing over to the scientist.

"Jane! How wonderful." Erik hugged Jane tightly, pulling back and holding her at arm's length, examining her clothes. "You've been to Asgard."

Jane frowned. "Where are your pants?"

Karina struggled to hide a smile as Erik looked down at himself, puzzled.

"He says it helps him think," someone said from behind Karina. "I'm Ian," he said, noticing Karina's confusion.

"Karina," she replied, glancing to Jane for an explanation. The woman merely shrugged at her, waving the question off.

"Okay, I'm going to need everything you've got on this," Jane said, turning to the dining table filled with diagrams, notes and computers. "All the work you've been doing on gravimetricanomlies, everything."

"Are you well, Erik?" Thor asked, stepping forward.

Erik laughed, turning to them, his face falling serious as he looked at them. "Your brother's not coming, is he?"

"He's dead," Thor said sadly, and Karina ignored the pang that echoed in her chest, clenching her fists tightly.

"Oh, thank god," Erik exclaimed suddenly. He coughed, "I mean, I'm sorry."

Thor nodded, "thank you." Erik stepped forward, hugging the god tightly as Karina chuckled, leaning against the wall.

"Hey," Jane called, waving them over. Karina pushed herself off the wall and walked over to the table, sitting next to Darcy. Darcy waved at her and Karina winked back.

"Malekith is going to fire the Aether at a spot where all the nine worlds are connecting," Jane explained as Thor sat down next to her.

"Amplifying the weapon's impact," Erik added. "For each additional world, the power will increase exponentially. The effect would be universal."

"Yes, but the alignment is only temporary," Thor said, "he must be in exactly the right place at the right time."

"Well, how do we know where that is?" Darcy asked, sipping on her coffee.

"We follow the directions," Erik answered, standing up. "This has happened before, thousands of years ago, and the Ancients were there to see it." He grabbed a large map from the self, pushing everything on the table onto the floor and spreading it on the cleared table.

"What, you mean the Romans?" Karina asked, frowning as Erik grabbed a black sharpie and a ruler.

"Exactly!" He exclaimed, uncapping the pen. "All the great the constructions, the Mayans, the Chinese, the Egyptians. They made use of the gravitational effects of the Convergence and they left us a map." He grabbed the ruler, the pen squeaking as he drew a line from Stonehenge, Snowden and the Great Orme. "All these, are coordinates taking us…" he joined the lines up, circling the area, "here."

"Green-wich?" Darcy clarified, thrown off by the name.

"I'm pretty sure its Greenwich," Karina corrected, eyes scanning the map.

"But it says, Green wich," Darcy replied, pointing to the name on the map.

"Yeah," Karina sighed, "English people are weird."

"Huh." Darcey sat back in her chair. "

"Anyway!" Jane called, drawing attention back to the map, "This means the walls between the world will be almost non – existent. Physics is going to go ballistic. Increases and decreases in gravity, spatial extrusions…the very fabric of reality is going to be torn apart."

There was a thud as Thor called his hammer to his hand, gripping it tightly. Karina jumped, glaring at her brother as an uneasy silence fell across the table.

"I better get my pants," Erik said quietly, standing up and hurrying off to his room.

* * *

Darcy handbrake parked the car, tyres squealing and jumped out the car. All five of them – minus Thor – had squeezed into the car, holding on tightly as Darcy flew through the London traffic.

"Everyone know their job?" Jane asked, unlocking the boot and picking up her equipment.

"Yup," Darcy replied, pushing Ian out of her way as she began unpacking her stuff from the boot.

"Good, try and get them in position as quickly as possible," Jane ordered as her, Erik and Karina walked off, heading the university's library.

"Hey, Erik?" Karina called as they hurriedly walked down the pathway, "do you have your phone on you?"

"Here," Erik said, rummaging around in his pocket, pulling out his phone and handing it to Karina.

"Thanks," Karina replied, scrolling through the contacts, hoping that one specific one would be in there. "I'll catch up with you!" She called, stopping behind one of the domes. Jane waved a hand behind her in acknowledgement as she hurried off, disappearing inside the university. Karina crossed her fingers as she dialled the number, looking around at the people strolling about.

"Please pick up," she muttered, nibbling on her thumbnail.

" _Selvig?"_ A tired voice answered, _"it's 7 o'clock in the morning."_

Karina sighed, "I thought S.H.I.E.L.D agents were meant to be used to random wake up calls."

" _Karina?!"_ Clint exclaimed. " _Why are you back on Earth?"_

Karina groaned, "Minor alien invasion."

" _Again?"_ Clint moaned and Karina chuckled quietly as she poked her head around the corner, checking to see what Darcy was doing. " _How bad?"_

"Well," Karina began, "that depends on if our plan works. If it does, not _that bad_."

" _And if it doesn't?"_

"Potentially worse than New York."

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Karina pulled it away from her to check that Clint hadn't hung up on her.

" _Ok,"_ Clint said slowly, _"what do you need me to do?"_

* * *

Karina pocketed Erik's phone, making sure it wasn't going to fall out should the worse happen. She unsheathed her sword and began walking down the path, towards where Darcy and Ian were on the other side of the campus.

Clint had gotten S.H.I.E.L.D to set up road closures around the university, ensuring that no civilians were going to stumble upon the mess they were going to cause. Somehow, he'd also managed to gain access to the security cameras around the site, allowing him – and Maria Hill – to watch what was going on and plan for a mass clean-up crew.

Karina began to walk across the campus when someone started screaming. She slowly stopped in the middle of the grounds and turned to face the Thames. Malekith's ship had appeared right in the middle of the river and was heading straight for the university. Karina swore as the ship burst through the gates, slicing up the pavement as it headed straight for her.

Knowing she couldn't run away, Karina kept facing the ship, even as it destroyed the statue that had stood in the centre of the grounds, walking backwards slowly. She heard a crack of thunder and Thor appeared in a blaze of lightning in front of her, protecting her form the approaching ship

"Nice of you to turn up," Karina muttered, glancing at him as Malekith marched off the ship.

"You needn't have come so far, Asgardian," Malekith growled, his face now black with the Aether, "death would've come to you soon enough."

"Not by your hand," Thor replied, eyes narrowed in determination.

"Your universe was never meant to be. Your world and your family will be extinguished!"

Malekith threw his arm out and the Aether flew out, hitting Thor and Karina and sending them crashing to the ground.

"Ah," Karina muttered as she stood up, "I forgot about that."

Malekith threw another blast of the Aether at them, hitting Karina in the chest and throwing her back. She slid across the wet grass, wincing at the pain from the Aether. Karina groaned as she stood back up, sword raised and glowing purple as Malekith threw another blast at them.

This time, they were ready.

Thor summoned his lightning, blocking the blast at the same time as Karina threw up a forcefield, taking the majority of the impact aimed towards her. Thor skidded along the grass on his knees, stumbling to his feet as the blast disappeared and Karina relaxed her stance slightly, allowing her magic to simmer.

"You know," Thor sighed, cracking his shoulders, "with all that power, I thought you'd hit harder."

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Karina sighed as Malekith threw his arms out and the Aether began to swirl around him. As Malekith was about to release it, Thor threw Mjolnir at him, causing the Dark Elf to fly backwards through the Dark Elves standing behind him.

"Find Jane!" Thor yelled at Karina as he took off after Malekith.

Karina nodded and took off towards where she'd last seen Jane and Darcy. She rounded the corner and skidded to a holt, staring at the Dark Elves who were surrounding a young woman. Karina threw a blast of fire at them startling them enough for the woman to run away. The three Dark Elves began walking towards Karina, guns raised at her. Karina growled, raising her sword up high and moving into her fight stance.

The lead Dark Elf's gun whined as he clicked the safety off, his finger pressed the trigger and –

They disappeared.

Karina frowned, looking around in confusion.

"Hell yes!"

Karina looked up and saw Jane and Erik leaning out the top of a window. Jane had her fancy machine with her and a triumphant look on her face.

"Thanks!" Karina yelled, waving at her friend. Jane waved her off with a smile, disappearing from the window. Karina rolled her eyes fondly, turning around and running back towards Malekith's ship knowing that Jane was safe.

A small group of Dark Elves began firing at Karina as she emerged onto the grass and she quickly ducked behind a pillar, shielding herself from the blasts.

Karina's head fell back against the pillar with a thud when Selvig's phone started to ring. "Now? Really?" She muttered, rummaging in her pocket for the device.

"Clint, I'm kinda busy right now!" Karina yelled, ducking back behind the pillar as the Elves continued to fire at her.

" _Is this going to plan?"_ Clint asked and Karina could _hear_ his smirk.

"Oh shut up," Karina replied, moving behind a different pillar quickly.

" _Karina,"_ Maria called over the phone and Karina realised that she was on speaker. " _What's going on?"_

Karina grunted as she threw a fire ball at the group of Elves, using the distraction to leap over the bannisters and duck behind the wooden doors leading to the church.

"This guy called Malekith is using the convergence to try and invade all the nine realms at once. He has this infinity stone called the Aether and Thor is currently trying to distract him long enough for –" she stopped talking as a Dark Elf approached, somehow holding the phone to her ear and killing the Elf with her sword, "our plan to work."

" _It sounds like it's going swimmingly,"_ Clint drawled as Karina grunted, attacking another Dark Elf.

"Oh yeah," Karina blew a piece of hair out of her face, "it's all going to plan." She swung open the church doors and stepped out, hands glowing purple with fire as she prepared to attack the large group of Elves waiting for her.

But the Elves were nowhere to be seen.

Karina jumped as a car honked at her and she quickly moved out of the road and onto the pavement.

"Um, what?"

" _Karina, where are you? We can't see you on the cameras,"_ Hill said over the phone as Karina looked around mystified.

"I have no idea," she muttered, looking down at the Thames below. "I'll call you back." Karina put the phone back in her pocket, ignoring the strange looks everyone was giving her. She saw a police officer standing by the fence and walked up to him, highly aware of what she looked like.

"Excuse me," she called, and the police officer did a double take at her appearance.

"Yeah?"

"Where am I? I'm a bit lost," Karina explained, smiling.

"Bloody Comic Con," the police man muttered, rolling his eyes. "Tower Bridge, love," he replied.

Karina nodded, "Tower Bridge, right." She paused. "Where's Greenwich?"

"Greenwich?!" The police man exclaimed, "aren't you after the Excel centre?"

"The what?" Karina asked, frowning. Suddenly a loud scream interrupted the conversation and Karina spun on her heel as a Dark Elf emerged onto the bridge, gun in hand. The cars on the bridge stopped moving, starring in shock at the weird creature in the middle of the road. An impatient taxi driver honked at the Dark Elf and the wing mirror of the cab was promptly shot off.

"Ah," Karina sighed, jumping over the barrier and walking towards the Elf, "portals everywhere." She groaned, cracking her back as she approached the Elf. The Dark Elf turned to face her, and Karina readied herself as he fired his gun at her. She ducked behind a car, throwing a fire ball in the general direction of the Elf. Using the distraction to her advantage, Karina pulled herself onto the roof of the car, standing up straight as he magic began to swirl around her.

"Oh my god, its Karina!" Someone exclaimed and the scared onlookers immediately started cheering and screaming in excitement. Karina sighed in despair at the complete lack of fear the onlookers where demonstrating when a literal Alien stood in front of them.

The Dark Elf turned to face her as two more emerged from the portal, standing behind the first. Karina took a deep breath in and ran down the windscreen of the car, jumping off the bonnet onto the roof of the car in front as the Dark Elves started firing at her.

As she leapt of the car in front of the Elves, she bought her power to the max, slamming it directly into the Elves as she landed in front of them, knees bent. The Elves fell to the floor as Karina stood up, glowing a bright purple. She twirled her sword around, making quick work of the dazed Elves.

With a grunt she pulled her sword from the last Elf, watching it fall to the ground with a thud. The people around her were still staring in shock – the majority of them filming her – as she stood up, wiping her sword on her leg. Karina jogged over to the shock police man, smiling.

"I think this road is closed, Officer," she said, patting the man on the back as she rummaged in her pocket for her phone.

"Jane!" Karina exclaimed as soon as the scientist picked up. "Can your device open a portal on Tower Bridge or not?"

" _Why are you on, you know what? Never mind."_ Jane said with a sigh, " _I can try."_

Karina cried out in surprise as the ground disappeared from underneath her and she fell onto the wet pavement in front of Malekith's ship.

" _Sorry,"_ Jane whispered as Karina stood up, dusting the rubble and mud off her.

"Don't worry," Karina replied, flexing her fingers, "where are you?"

" _Down the path you're on there's a alley on the right,"_ Jane answered and Karina nodded, hanging up the phone as she began following Jane's directions. She glanced up at the sky, panic swirling inside her when she saw that the Convergence was nearly in full effect above them.

Karina skidded to a holt as she almost ran straight into Erik. The scientist put a hand on Karina's arm as she stumbled to a holt, panting.

"Are you alright?" he asked, checking her over. Karina nodded, waving off his concern despite knowing she looked like hell. She was covered in sweat and had a burn on her right side where a gun had grazed her on the bridge. There was a large cut on her eyebrow that kept dripping blood onto her face and her hands and knees were covered in mud and grazes.

"We're out of time, aren't we?" Karina asked, glancing to Jane who looked up at the sky worriedly. Malekith had reached the Ark and the Aether had begun swirling around him and the ship like a Tornado, ripping the tiles and windows from the domes and walls.

Jane nodded, opening her mouth but before she could say anything, Thor arrived, strolling over to them. Karina approached him first, eyes scanning him over, noting that he seemed fine other than the giant cut on his head. Thor put an arm around Karina's shoulders, giving her a squeeze as he subtly checked her over.

"Thor!" Jane called, running over to him. "We're too late."

"The Convergence is at its peak," Erik added, looking up as the worlds began to align with one another.

The roar of wind from the Aether tornado was growing stronger, debris from the crash being picked up and swung around inside the deadly red haze.

Thor sighed, glancing down at the equipment in Erik's hands. "Can those things stop it?"

Erik shook his head, "not from here."

"We can't get close enough," Jane elaborated, glancing up from playing with her machine.

"I can," Thor replied firmly, a steely look in his eyes.

"No," Karina said suddenly, shaking her head. " _We can._ "

"Karina," Thor said quietly, glancing down at his sister.

"I'm coming with you," Karina told him, her tone leaving no room for an argument. "We got this far together."

Thor nodded slightly, taking the equipment from Erik. He glanced to Karina and the two siblings took off towards the swirling Aether. The wind stung Karina's cheeks as they struggled through the Aether, Malekith only just visible through the red haze.

"Malekith!" Thor roared; his feet firmly planted on the floor as he struggled against the wind. Karina stood slightly behind her brother, magic swirling about her.

Slowly, with his arms still outstretched, Malekith turned to face the siblings, a smirk on his face.

"Darkness returns, Asgardian," Malekith snarled, "have you come to witness the end of your universe?"

"I've come to accept your surrender," Thor corrected. "NOW!"

Karina released her magic at Malekith, the fire hitting him directly in the chest as Thor launched one of the poles at him. It hit Malekith in the arm and his arm disappeared. Karina groaned as she struggled to keep her magic at full blast on Malekith, feeling the Aether beginning to pierce away at her. Thor, noticing his sister's struggle, threw the other pole at Malekith and it speared his opposite shoulder rendering the Dark Elf armless.

"You think you can stop this?" Malekith roared, Karina's magic flickering slightly as the Aether continued to build power. "The Aether cannot be destroyed." Malekith waved a hand and Karina's magic flickered out completely as the Aether finally hit her. She fell to her knees as the Aether invaded her mind

"No," Thor replied, tearing his eyes away from Karina and smirking at Malekith "but you can."

Thor reached out his hand for Mjolnir, his trusty hammer flying into his hand as Thor launched himself at Malekith. Malekith finally snapped out of his trance, eyes widening as Thor threw the last pole at Malekith, impaling the Dark Elf on the Ark. Thor slammed his hammer down onto the pole and lightning met the Aether.

The Aether exploded, knocking the siblings out and sending them flying through the air. As Karina and Thor fell to the ground, Jane turned the dial on her machine and Malekith disappeared, the Aether disappearing with him.

Jane emerged from behind the wall she'd been hiding behind, stopping when she saw Karina and Thor lying unconscious on the ground. There was a loud creaking sound as the Arc began to topple over, it's intended impact zone exactly where Karina and Thor were.

"No," Jane whispered as she ran over to them, falling to her knees beside Thor. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to drag either one of them away in time, Jane threw herself on top of Thor, reaching out a hand for Karina as the Arc's descent sped up. Jane closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the impact.

Except it never came.

Jane slowly looked up at Erik who stood a few feet away with Jane's machine in his hands. Erik grinned, waving the device in the air as Jane laughed in relief, resting her head on Thor's chest.

"Everyone okay?" Erik called, looking around at the destruction they'd caused to Greenwich.

Karina groaned as she came round, squeezing her eyes shut as her head throbbed furiously. Erik's phone in her pocket began ringing again and she fumbled around for it, pressing the answer button and holding it to her ear.

"Yeah?" Karina asked blearily as Jane helped Thor sit up beside her.

" _What the hell was that?"_

Karina sat up, rubbing her eyes, "Fury?"

" _You've got a lot of explaining to do,"_ Fury grumbled, _"you've also made a hell of a mess."_

Karina groaned as she stumbled to her feet, "that wasn't just me. Besides, most of it's harmless anyway."

Fury scoffed on the other end of the phone, _"I doubt that very much, Karina."_ Fury paused for a second. _"Everyone alive?"_

"Just about," Karina replied, smiling as Jane leaned in and kissed Thor passionately. Thor kissed her back, hand running through her hair. "I think we're all okay."

* * *

 **A/N: I was going to split this into two, but there was no point so. I haven't written much past this point so I probably won't update again soon, I _will_ update though. I'm sticking with this all the way until Endgame!**

 **Also, I've been to Greenwich and it's a lovely place, very beautiful and full of history.**

 **Incorrect Quote:**

 **Tony: what was your street name on Asgard?**

 **Karina: Fire Breathing Bitch Queen**

 **Tony: you lived on a street name fir-**

 **Karina: Oh, you meant where I lived.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm back! I've seen FFH, I loved it but I have decided that Warrior _will_ end at Endgame. How I don't quite know yet but it's going to be epic!**

* * *

 _Asgard_

* * *

Thor knelt down at the foot of Odin's throne, setting his hammer on the ground in front of him. He bowed his head, not wanting to look into the disappointed face of his father.

"You once said there would never be a wiser King than me." Odin sighed."You were wrong." Thor looked up at his father, shock evident on his face. "The alignment has brought all the realms together. Every one of them saw you and Karina offer your lives to save them." Odin paused and looked down at his son. "What can Asgard offer its new King in return?"

"My life," Thor replied quickly. "Father, I cannot be King of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair." Thor sighed quietly. "Loki, for all his grave imbalance, understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice…it changes you. I'd rather be a good man than a great King."

Odin chuckled, "Is this my son I hear? Or the women he loves?"

"When you speak, do I never hear Mother's voice?" Thor replied fondly. "This is not for Jane, Father. Nor Karina. Neither of them knows what I came here to say. Now, forbid me to see her or say she can rule at my side, it changes nothing. For both us."

Odin sighed, sinking deeply into his chair. "One son who wanted the Throne too much, another who will not take it and a daughter in love with Midgard. Is this my legacy?"

"Loki died with honour," Thor said sadly, "I shall try to live the same. God knows Karina will. Is that not legacy enough?" Thor looked down at his hammer and picked it up, offering it to Odin.

"It belongs to you," Odin told him, waving his hand. "If you are worthy of it."

"I shall try to be," Thor replied with a soft smile.

"I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you good fortune."

Thor looked down sadly. "I know."

"If I were proud of the man my son had become, even that I could not say, I would speak only from my heart." Odin cleared his throat, sitting up in his throne. "Go, my son."

"Thank you, Father." Thor bowed as he stood up, turning on his heel and walking away.

"Thor!" Odin called suddenly and the god turned around. "Tell Karina that she's free to go where she wishes. She's no longer bound to the throne by me or anyone else." He paused, a fond look on his face. "She's free."

"I will," Thor replied, nodding, "I'm sure she'll be grateful."

Odin watched as Thor walked out of the throne room. As soon as he was far enough away, a glimmer of green magic passed over the King, revealing Loki sitting in the throne of Asgard.

"I'm sure she will be," Loki whispered quietly, a fond smile on his face.

* * *

 _Avengers Tower, New York City_

Karina waved tiredly at the _very_ confused and rather horrified receptionist as she passed the front desk in the lobby of the tower. An even more confused scientist held open the elevator doors for Karina, shuffling into the far corner, out the way.

"Good afternoon, Karina," JARVIS said pleasantly as soon as the doors shut. "I'm assuming you're heading up to the personal floors?"

"Yup," Karina said, swinging her arms. She'd come straight from Greenwich to New York thanks to a jet sent by Fury. Karina had briefed the agents who'd arrived to contain the mess, since Thor had gone back to Asgard, leaving her in the lurch, and had quickly ran away before she could be accosted into helping out. She hadn't changed out of her dirty armour, nor had she actually stopped to check her injuries.

Of which there were many.

The scientist, who'd been unfortunate enough to be in the elevator with Karina, scurried away when it arrived on the 37th floor, leaving Karina alone with JARVIS.

"Can I say, Karina," JARVIS said suddenly, "it's good to have you back."

Karina smiled up at the ceiling, "it's good to be back, J." The doors slid open and Karina stepped out, only to be immediately engulfed in a hug.

" _Never_ do that again," Tony muttered, hugging Karina tightly. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and Karina laughed softly, hugging him back just as tightly.

"I'm fine," Karina said smiling broadly. Her smile faltered slightly as a sharp pain hit her side and she gripped her ribs tightly. "Ok, maybe slightly less fine than first thought." Karina's grip on Tony's arm increased as her body began to sway and the pain from all her injuries finally hit her.

"Yeah, no you're not," Tony muttered, scooping the woman up into his arms. "Medbay, now."

Karina had no energy left to protest as Tony carried her into the Medbay, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You still awake?" Tony asked, glancing down at Karina.

"Hmm," Karina mumbled, scrunching her eyes shut. "I really should get another job, this shit's exhausting."

Tont laughed as he gently set Karina down on a spare bed in the Medbay, noticing how she winced as she leant on her right side. "Let's see it."

Karina looked up at him. "What?"

Tony crossed his arm. "The injury you're so obviously hiding."

Karina rolled her eyes, hissing as she aggravated her injury as she tried to undo her armour.

"Here," Tony said, walking over to her and undoing it for her. He set it down on the chair in the corner of the room and walked back over as Karina gently lifted her shirt off her wound.

Tony hissed, gently prodding it. "Shit."

"What?" Karina exclaimed looking down. "Oh."

The graze from the laser wasn't actually that bad. It was the black and blue bruising all around her side and the black lines leading from the wound that did it. Karina poked at it, hissing quietly as she inspected it herself. The black lines would soon fade, that was just a side effect of the Aether and the gun.

"It's fine," Karina said, waving off Tony's concern.

"It's not," Tony replied, gently dabbing at the wound with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. Karina clenched her fists as the alcohol seeped into the wound, digging her nails into her palm.

"Ow."

"That's what you get for saving the world."

Karina sighed, rolling her eyes as she leant her head back against the pillows as she finally took it all in. After all the pain of losing her mother and brother in a matter of days, Karina finally felt safe. Finally felt like she was home.

* * *

" _Reports are still coming in but from what we understand, this_ is _a confirmed extra-terrestrial attack on Greenwich. The number of victims is still unknown with many hospitals struggling to cope with the number of injured coming through their doors. Many survivors of this attack, however, have been hailing the Avengers members Thor and Karina as heroes for stopping this attack before it caused more destruction._

" _Greenwich university and the surrounding area are thought to be closed for many weeks to come and the government agency S.H.I.E.L.D have been put in charge of the extensive clean up op – "_

Clint set the remote down on the coffee table, looking at Karina. "It wasn't your fault," he said softly, sitting down next to her.

Karina inhaled sharply, closing her eyes, "I know," she muttered, rubbing her face. She stood up and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet filling it with water from the tap. The freezing water stung her teeth as she swallowed it, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat as her eyes began to burn.

"Then what is?"

Karina bit her lip, gripping the sink tightly. "Before, Greenwich," she said quietly, turning to face Clint, "the Dark Elves invade Asgard. They tore through the throne room, slaughtering everyone in their path." She let out a shaky breath, wiping away her tears and Clint stood up walking over to her. "My mother and I, our duty was to protect Jane from Malekith and ensure he didn't get the Aether. It almost worked, we almost fooled him. But…" Karina trailed off, searching for the words. "Kurse, his second – in – command, he killed my mother right in front of me. I was powerless to do anything because Kurse almost killed me too.

"Hundreds of Asgardians died that day, during the invasion. My mother was just one of them. My father then shut down the Bifrost, refusing to let anyone in or out. He practically sentence Asgard to death, waiting for Malekith to come again. So, Thor and I decided to commit treason and take Jane to Malekith ourselves. We broke Loki out of prison because he was the only one who knew how to reach the pathway.

Karina paused, inhaling deeply as she tried not to break down sobbing. Clint approached her, putting a warm hand on her shoulder, rubbing circles gently. A single sob escaped as Karina took a breath in, rubbing her hands together.

"We reached Malekith, but our plan went wrong. He got the Aether and left Kurse behind to finish us off. Loki died protecting me. My mother died protecting me. I could've stopped it! I should've stopped it!" Karina yelled, tears falling down her face. "It's my fault that they're dead, that they both died right in front of me."

Her knees gave way and she fell to the ground, Clint falling with her as she sobbed into his chest.

He rested his head on top of hers, rubbing her back. "Ssh," Clint whispered, holding her tightly, "it's not your fault. Malekith and Kurse killed them, not you. You're alive, and that's what matters."

* * *

The lights in the gym were a stark contrast to the night sky of New York. The music Karina had put on had long since ended and the only sound was her fists meeting the punching bag. Her entire body was coated in sweat and the front of her hair was stuck to her forehead. There was a loud thud as Karina punched the bag off the chains, sending it flying across the floor. She stood there, panting, staring at the spot where the bag had landed.

"Karina, there are spare bags in the cupboard to your right," JARVIS called quietly, breaking the woman from her thoughts.

"Yeah, thanks, J," Karina muttered, slowly sitting down on the floor. She took her gloves off and began unwinding the wraps on her hands. There were a few angry red marks on her knuckles that Karina knew were going to turn into bruises later. Karina groaned, putting her head in her hands and clenching her hair.

"You saved the world, you know."

Karina chuckled humourlessly. "And lost my mother, my brother and my best friend in the process," she turned to face the newcomer. "It'd better be worth it."

Fury shrugged as he stepped into the light. "You don't know until it's over. The world's still spinning, people are still just as ignorant; I think you did a good job."

"What do you want, Fury?" Karina asked, jumping to her feet and walking over to the broke punching bag.

"You're a good warrior, Karina," Fury replied, "and an even better woman. I'd like you to join S.H.I.E.L.D."

Karina scoffed, dragging the bag over to the cupboard. "I already have."

"As an _agent_."

Karina paused, clenching the chain tightly. "You want to use me as a killing machine?"

Fury shook his head. "Only if you choose to. I don't trust many people in this world, Karina. But in the short amount of time that I've known you, I feel like I can trust more than some people I've known for years." He sat down on the bench, watching as Karina dragged a new bag out the cupboard and walked over to the hook hanging from the ceiling. "I need someone to work _with_ Romanoff and Barton as well as working with the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't know how you've done it, but they trust you. And that's a trust that's hard to earn."

Karina grunted as she lifted the bag onto the hook. "So, I would be going on missions. Where I would kill people. Where I would be torturing people."

"Not necessarily. Killing? Possibly, depends on the who and the what. Torture – that's more Romanoff's thing. You'd be my, for lack of a better phrase, 'spy on the inside'."

Karina snorted as she undid her braid, untangling her hair with her fingers as she stood opposite Fury. "Spy on the inside?" she repeated, raising her eyebrows questioningly. "You know I can't just say yes."

Fury nodded, standing up, "You have until December, that's the deadline for new recruits."

"You're not going to make me go through that whole thing, are you?" Karina called as Fury left the gym.

Fury turned around, arms behind his back, "no. Basic training, yes. You have an advantage of being a goddess and all. But all eventualities must be covered, and I need to know that you're capable." He nodded at her, "you know where to find me when you decide."

Karina sighed as he left, crossing her arms. Either way, she was a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. This would just be a way of helping more people.

"Karina, Dr Banner says dinner is ready," JARVIS called.

Karina waved at the AI as she left the gym, "Tell him I'll be done in a minute."

* * *

Silence had fallen over the dinner table as everyone tucked into the roast Bruce had prepared for them. Steve, Tony and Thor were both absent. The billionaire had a date with Pepper uptown, Thor was _still_ with Jane and Steve had gone off the radar for a bit, trying to get his head around the 21st century.

Karina picked at her food, tearing her chicken apart with her fork as she thought over Fury's offer. Would it be such a bad thing to be at the centre of all the action? It would certainly give her something to do, stop her becoming lazy and reliant on her magic.

"Ria, are you alright?" Clint asked and Karina jumped, her fork clattering on her plate.

"Yeah, I'm f- what made you join S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Clint and Natasha stared at her, the former gaping like a fish at the 360 degree turn in the conversation.

"Made – us – what?"

"I'm just, thinking," Karina said quietly, popping a piece of carrot in her mouth.

Natasha set her fork and knife down, leaning back in her seat, looking at Karina curiously. "I had no choice. It was either S.H.I.E.L.D or die. Naturally, I chose S.H.I.E.L.D and I can say I have very few regrets."

"Fury hand-picked me from a group of recruits. I guess I chose to go to S.H.I.E.L.D, but if I didn't, I wouldn't be here right now. S.H.I.E.L.D saved my life, gave me a purpose," Clint said quietly, pouring some more gravy over his dinner.

"Fury's spoken to you, hasn't he?" Natasha asked, eyeing Karina as she shifted in her seat.

"No," Karina chuckled nervously, stabbing a ball of stuffing. "Maybe. Yes," she quietly admitted, shoving the stuffing in her mouth.

"The bastard," Clint growled, a dark look in his eyes.

"No, no," Karina said, the words muffled by the food in her mouth, "it was an offer. In no way was he threatening me or making me. He said he trusts me more than people he's known for years. Besides, I'm already a part of S.H.I.E.L.D by being an Avenger. This would just be working with you two and reporting back to him."

Clint inhaled sharply, resting his hands behind his head. "And the, less cinematic part of the job?"

Karina chuckled lightly as his phrasing. "That's all Nat's job."

Natasha said nothing, simply incling her head in agreement. "If you do say yes, it will become your life. It will be hell on earth at times and it will try to break you."

Karina shrugged, her fork dripping gravy onto the table, "I've been in three wars, fought countless battles, faced aliens, Loki, had a temple collapse on me and I've lived with Thor for 1200 years. It'd take a _lot_ to break me."

"Humans aren't the same as aliens," Natasha replied.

Karina smiled, "they're worse, I know." She sighed, setting her cutlery down and leaning forward, "Nat, this could be my chance to do something with my life. To become more than just a princess."

Clint smiled fondly, "You already are more than that."

"To you maybe. But I need to prove it to myself. How else do I move on?" She uttered the last part quietly, but Clint still heard it and his face fell slightly.

"I think it'd be a good thing," Bruce said suddenly, reminding everyone he was there. "You'd be working for Fury, not the council, not the government. He doesn't trust easily and from what I've seen and heard, he wouldn't have asked if he wasn't certain."

Natasha sighed quietly, picking up her cutlery and cutting a potato in half, "when does he want to know by?"

"December," Karina said, watching Natasha. "He said basic training and something about all eventualities."

The assassin nodded, swallowing her mouthful. "If you do say yes, we'll stick with you. Be your punching bags, whatever you need." Natasha looked at her and Karina was surprised at the intensity in her eyes. "I trust you."

"Me too," Clint added, leaning forward and winking at Karina. "Whatever you need."

Karina nodded, looking down at her dinner. "Thank you."

Clint grunted, shoving a piece of chicken into his mouth and asking JARVIS to switch the T.V on. Bruce sat there quietly eating as he watched the news whilst Natasha quietly began cleaning up. Karina smiled fondly at her friends as she scraped her chair back and put the jug of water back in the fridge.

It wouldn't be so bad with her friends by her side. It gave her a chance to do something for once whilst Thor was off god knows where. It gave her a chance to be something more than just the Goddess of Fire.

* * *

 _December 1_ _st_ _, 2011_

"Why a _tree_?"

"It's tradition."

"It's a tree."

"Not a real tree, although some people do have those."

"But…it's a _tree_."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You've said that already."

Karina watched Tony carefully as he and Bruce wrapped the lights around the tree. "Isn't that a fire hazard?"

Tony sighed. "No."

Bruce chuckled as he untangled the line of lights, passing them to Tony. "You've never celebrated Christmas before?"

Karina shook her head, perching on the arm of the sofa and picking up a red bauble. "No. It was seen as a Midgardian custom, nothing more. The majority of the city thought it was kinda stupid."

Tony whipped his head around, eyes wide. "Stupid?"

Karina gestured to the tree, raising her eyebrows. "You are literally decorating a plant with lights and sparkly hangy things."

"That's not all there is to Christmas," Bruce said quickly, noticing Tony's mouth open to argue back. "There's the presents, the tv, the family time, the _food_."

"What? A dry, boring ass turkey?"

Bruce smiled. "More like beef, chicken, pork, duck. Anything. It all depends on who you are. Some people have turkey, sticking to tradition. Others have beef with all the trimmings. The best bit, though, is the roast potatoes."

Karina's eyes lit up. "I _love_ roast potatoes. Especially yours. They're so crispy!"

Tony yelped suddenly, cursing loudly. "Bloody lights," he muttered, sucking on his finger.

"Ah," Bruce looked down guiltily, "I forgot to mention that the wire was exposed somewhere."

Tony glared at his friend as he continued putting the lights on the tree, this time with slightly more vigour.

"Is everyone coming here, for Christmas?" Karina asked, looking out the window as the snow began to fall faster, blocking out the majority of the skyline.

"I'm not sure," Tony replied, his voice slightly muffled by the tree he was behind. "It depends when Barton, Romanoff and Rogers get back from their mission. Last I heard they were somewhere in Hong Kong. Any idea where Thor is?"

Karina shook her head, "none. I haven't heard from Jane, so I assume they're together somewhere, but he did mention going back to Asgard."

"It'd be nice to have everyone back together," Bruce said quietly, opening the box of decorations as Tony plugged the lights in. "We've yet to have a Christmas with everyone present. Tony spent the first Christmas after you went being kidnapped and blown up and then last year Clint and Nat were on a mission and Steve was somewhere in DC."

"Hang on, back-track a sec," Karina said, holding up a hand, "Tony was what now?"

Tony paused mid bauble hang and slowly turned to face her. "Ah, I might've forgotten to tell you."

Karina raised her arms exasperatedly. "You _forgot_ to tell me that you were kidnapped?"

Bruce nodded, clearly enjoying someone else chewing Tony out for once. "And he had his arc reactor removed."

Karina let out a screech, eyes widening as she jumped up from the sofa and ran over to Tony. "What?" She patted his chest, mouth falling open when she realised it wasn't there anymore. "What the hell, Tony?"

Tony shrugged, hanging the bauble on the tree. "I also ended up making something like 50 different suits, Pepper and I had an argument and my house got blown up."

"He gave his address to a terrorist."

"Yes, thank you, Bruce." Tony sighed. "I wasn't in a good place after New York."

"I don't think any of us were," Karina replied softly, fiddling with a bauble shaped like a wooden train. "I know I wasn't."

"Did you get the president kidnapped and almost kill your girlfriend?"

"No, I just blew up a temple, stopped a revolt, committed treason and destroyed Greenwich," Karina replied, shrugging. "Usual, everyday stuff."

Tony sighed heavily at Karina he stared at her. She raised her eyebrows at him in question as he continued to stare. "You're unbelievable."

"Hey!" Karina exclaimed, following Tony as he stepped away from the tree, admiring his handiwork. "At least I didn't get the president kidnapped!"

Tony turned slowly and glared at her. "That was one time."

* * *

 _25_ _th_ _December 2013_

"Ok, this wasn't as bad as Asgard made it out to be," Karina said as she dipped a tortilla chip in the salsa. "I'm actually enjoying myself."

Tony rolled his eyes as she popped the chip in her mouth. "I did tell you."

Karina shook her head. "You didn't tell me about Nat's legendary brownies."

"You're lucky you even got one," Clint grumbled as he watched Home Alone on the T.V.

Natasha sighed heavily as she leant into the sofa cushions, tucking her hands behind her head. 'Because the last time I left you with them, you ate them all and made yourself ill."

Karina chuckled as Clint threw a cushion at the red-head, the offending object hitting Steve in the face instead.

"Thanks, Barton," Steve muttered, throwing the cushion on the empty chair next to him.

"Seriously, though," Karina said as she finished her chip, "all you do is open presents, eat food and watch films."

"It's just a shame Thor isn't here," Tony said, pouring himself another glass of whiskey. "Any idea where he is?"

Karina shook her head. "Jane called me to say he went back to Asgard after they spent some time together, but he didn't say why or how long for. We did, kind of, commit treason on our way out."

"Only you could be charged with committing treason against your own father," Steve chuckled.

"It means I get to spend Christmas here eating food."

"And then you have boxing day where you get to eat even more food," Clint added, stealing a chip from the bag on the table.

"Exactly!" Karina exclaimed. "A holiday dedicated to _just_ eating food is the best holiday."

Bruce chuckled, "then you're going to _love_ thanksgiving."

"What's thanksgiving?"

* * *

 _28th December, 2013_

Karina groaned as she was slammed into the floor of the gym for the second time that day. Her hair was plastered to her forehead and bruises were already beginning to form on her skin from where Natasha had landed hit after hit.

"You're getting better," Natasha said as she held out a hand to Karina.

"At what?" Karina asked, taking Nat's hand and letting her pull her to her feet. "Being beaten up?"

"No, learning how to avoid attacks, using their weaknesses against them. You can't always rely on having your magic and sword when you're in the field."

Karina nodded, taking a big sip from her water bottle. "Is this you training me up to be an agent?"

Natasha shrugged as she lifted two wooden poles from the wall, throwing one to Karina who caught it effortlessly. "Maybe. Or just improving your skill as an Avenger."

"Do you think I'd make a good agent?" Karina asked as she twirled the wooden pole between her fingers.

Natasha paused, tilting her head as she thought. "You have the potential to be one of the best. Not because of your skillset but because you genuinely care about people – you want them to feel safe and to be able to live their lives. _That's_ what makes a good agent." She moved into a fighting stance; feet spread equally apart. "Come on, we haven't got all day."

Karina rolled her eyes as she followed Natasha, getting into her own stance, making sure Natasha wasn't just going to knock her over before they'd even begun.

It didn't work.

* * *

 _January 15_ _th_ _2014_

Karina tried to ignore all the stares coming her way as she marched down the corridors of the Triskelion. She'd dressed down in a pair of dark blue, ripped jeans and a black sweater with a dark green jacket over the top, but the agents still recognised her face, eyes widening in surprise and shock as she passed. One had even walked into a door, too busy staring at her to pay attention to where he was going.

Turning left down the long, glass windowed corridor, Karina spotted the golden plague on a door, marking Fury's office. She knocked once and barged in, choosing to ignore the fact that there was someone already in the office. If she didn't do it now, she never would.

"Karina, I'm in the middle of a – "

"Yes."

Fury frowned at her with his one eye. "I'm sorry?"

Karina sighed deeply, "I said, yes."

Fury's eyes widened ever so slightly as he registered what she'd just said. "Michaels, Wilkinson, we'll finish this later on."

The two agents quickly got up out of their seats and practically ran out of the room, shutting the door behind themselves as Karina sat down in the vacant seat. She crossed her arms, propping her legs up on the chair next to her, staring at Fury intently.

"Why yes?"

"I had planned to give you a rousing speech about how it benefits other people, etc, but it's more so I don't get _bored_. There's only so much Stark one can take before you want to launch him off the helipad."

Fury chuckled quietly, smiling at her. "It won't be easy."

Karina took her feet off the table, leaning forward. "When is _anything_ in life easy?"

Fury nodded. "True, I'll give you that." He leant back in his chair, hands behind his head. "What are your conditions?"

"I answer to _you_." Karina looked at Fury carefully. "I don't want to be the council's puppet, being sent on missions to do their dirty work etc. I don't want to be abused because of who I am, treat me as if I was any other agent. I want to do work that benefit's _us._ Benefit's the world, the Avengers."

"You mean taking down HYDRA."

Karina shrugged. "If that's what it takes. But HYDRA isn't the only threat out there, is it? I'm saying yes because I know that I can help."

Fury stood up, pushing his chair back as he did so. He held out his hand and Karina stood up, taking it firmly. "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D, Karina," Fury said as they shook hands.

* * *

Fury wasn't wrong when he said it wasn't going to be easy. Karina had been put through rigorous training on Asgard, not being allowed to go off to battle before she could fend off her brother and his friends. S.H.I.E.L.D's training was a different kind of rigorous. It wasn't just physical training, learning how to fire a gun, get out of chains and ropes it was mental too. Interrogation techniques, how not to give away information and getting used to the hardships of the job.

Karina found the mental training the hardest. She was a good person, always trying to use death as a last alternative, unless they were aliens from outer space trying to kill everyone. Every time she was tied up, either to a pipe, a chair or to the wall, not panicking was the hardest thing to do. Even though she knew she could escape if she needed to – super strength and magic did give her an advantage – it still scared her.

The worst part was having to learn how to fight without her magic. They were two sides of a coin in a way, entwined together. But it was important in case some maniac managed to supress her magic or completely get rid of it. Every swing of her sword without her magic flowing through it felt heavy and empty. Natasha often reprimanded her technique, saying she was sloppy and slow. Tired.

It wasn't that she was tired. She just felt _heavy_ without it.

"Karina, snap out of it and concentrate," Natasha snapped, swatting Karina's arm with the pole she was holding. "Let's go again."

Karina grunted as she pushed herself up off the floor, picking up her pole and moving into a fighting stance. Everything hurt and she was exhausted, but Karina knew she couldn't just give up. Nothing ever got accomplished that way.

Clint and Steve had appeared in the training room an hour ago, both doing their own thing, occasionally looking over at the two women as they fought. There had been other agents in the room, watching them, but they'd dispersed rather quickly after a stern glare from Captain America.

Karina's eyes widened and she quickly fell to her knees, sliding under Natasha's kick and stumbling to her feet the other side, hair in her eyes as her braid finally gave up. Natasha didn't wait, swinging her pole at Karina's head, causing the women to roll to the side, picking up her pole and swinging it up to meet Nat's. Pushing against it, Karina managed to make Natasha take a step back and let down her guard on her left side.

Seeing a chance, Karina took it, swinging her pole at Natasha's side as the assassin regained her balance. Using a small amount of magic to speed herself up, Karina was o focused on the opening on Natasha's side, Karina didn't see Natasha's pole swinging towards her head.

Natasha didn't have time to pull back as the pole smacked Karina on the head as Karina hit Natasha's side, both falling to the ground. The noise of their poles and themselves hitting the floor gained Steve and Clint's attention and both looked around. Steve ran over as

Karina fell to the fall, limp and unconscious, Natasha curling in on herself slightly as pain radiated from her ribs.

"Karina?" Steve called, gently shaking her as Clint ran over to Natasha.

"What happened?" Clint asked as he helped Natasha up.

"I had an opening on my left," Natasha winced, letting out a quiet yelp as Clint prodded her side, "she went for it and I didn't have time to pull back. Hit her in the head with the pole."

Karina's eyes fluttered open and she squeezed them shut as light overwhelmed her vision. "Ow. My god, you hit hard, Tash."

"You cheated," Natasha replied the smirk on her face turning into a wince as Clint pressed against her side.

Karina grasped Steve's arm tightly as he helped her sit up, holding her head in her other hand. "I did no such thing."

"I saw you glow purple, Ria."

"I don't glow, I sparkle. And besides, I didn't _rely_ on it, I just used it to help my attack."

"I think you both need to go to Medical," Clint said, rolling his eyes at Karina although there was still a glimmer of concern behind his eyes.

"We're fine," Natasha said, standing up whilst holding her side.

"I can't stand Medical," Karina added, leaning heavily on Steve as she stood up. "They always get far too excited when I appear and keep wanting to prod me with needles."

"So, that's a no to Medical, then," Clint said sighing. "At least give yourselves half an hour break before going at it again."

"If you insist," Natasha grumbled, hobbling over to the lockers, Karina following behind her.

Natasha held the door open for her friend, letting it swing shut behind them both leaving an astounded Steve and Clint behind.

Training between those two was definitely going to be the end of them.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so glad you're all enjoying my little story. I'm getting back into writing, I had a blip ( Get it? ;) ) but I am back and raring to go. If you want to yell at me about FFH feel free to do so, just don't put it in the reviews. _NO SPOILERS!_**

 **Anyhoo, see you next time!**

 **Incorrect Quote:**

 **Tony, on the phone with Karina: What are you doing?**

 **Karina: The dishes**

 **Tony: Did I just hear a laser gun?**

 **Karina: It's a bad neighbourhood**


	15. Chapter 15

**"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."**

 **\- Martin Luther King Jr**

* * *

 _February 19th, 2014_

 _The Triskelion, Washingotn D.C_

The Triskelion was _big._ It dominated the Potomac beneath it, it's looming shadow blocking the sun from meeting the water. Karina had signed in with the grumpy receptionist at the front desk and squeezed into an already packed elevator. She ignored the stares from the agents around her, shrinking into her jacket and pulling out her phone to avoid making eye contact.

Eventually the elevator doors opened on the floor she needed, and Karina squeezed herself out, stepping immediately into a rush of people. Surrendering herself to the rush, Karina was quickly swept along with the crowd. As she tried not to trip over, she looked around in awe at the glass and steel building housing S.H.I.E.L.D, still amazed at how different Earth was to Asgard.

It wasn't long before Karina came to a literal cross roads in the floor where the rush of people split into four. She saw a sign pointing towards the Director's office and quickly joined the crowd going left, allowing herself to be swallowed up by the crowd yet again.

The further she away she got from the main offices, and the closer she got to Fury's office, the crowd thinned out until it was just her. Fury's office wasn't isolated from the rest of the floor, in fact it was almost in the middle of it, but everyone just went a different way to get to their desks to avoid running into their Director.

Fury, apparently, intimidated the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Karina reached the door to Fury's office and knocked on the glass three times and then waited, arms behind her back.

"Enter."

Slowly, Karina opened the door, careful not to let it swing into the wall, and shut it behind her. Fury sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair as he surveyed his view of Washington.

"Compared to New York," he began as Karina walked over. "Better or worse?"

Karina hesitantly walked around to stand next to him, taking in the view herself. "I prefer New York, personally. Washington is significantly quieter compared to New York. I prefer the noise and chaos, makes a change to Asgard."

Fury turned in his chair too face her. "Heard from Thor, recently?"

"Not since he left Jane to go back to Asgard," Karina replied, shaking her head. "He came back for a week and then left again, Jane hasn't heard – or seen – from him since. She isn't overly impressed with him, I don't think."

Fury hummed. "Why didn't you go with him?"

Karina opened her mouth to give her prepared answer but stopped. She sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Because it hurts to look at the place my mother loved, knowing I couldn't save her. Because, I don't want to be a princess anymore and have to follow rules and regulations." She looked out the window, eyes watching the cars on the highway. "Because I don't feel like I belong there anymore."

"But you feel like you belong here?"

Karina shrugged. "Here I feel like I have a purpose. I can save people and live on a world I've long admired. Here I'm just Karina, not Princess, not Goddess…just Karina."

Fury stood up, pushing his chair under his desk. "That's why a lot of agents joined S.H.I.E.L.D. To become more than what they used to be. To be allowed to reinvent themselves." He gestured to the door as he walked around his desk. "Walk with me."

Fury looked down at Karina as they walked through the Triskelion, noting her body language and the way she rarely made eye contact with anyone.

"Stand up straight," Fury said quietly as they walked. "Just because you don't want to be royalty down here doesn't mean you can't act like you're not. People will take advantage of you if you're not careful. Meet their gaze, show them that that you're not scared or intimidated by them even though you might be."

Karina listened, standing up straighter, relaxing her shoulders and began meeting those who stared at her, giving them a smile as she passed. She summoned the princess inside her, taking her posture, the mask she wore as Princess of Asgard, and wore it all as she walked the corridors of the Triskelion.

"See how they looked at you now?" Fury asked quietly. "If you want to get anywhere in life, Karina, you have to fake it until you _completely_ trust them."

As they walked towards the analyst section of the building, Karina noticed a shift in how everyone looked at her. The nicer agents smiled back at her, giving her a polite nod as they passed. The less polite agents simply ignored her, choosing to look the other way.

"Agent Marcus is one of our best analysts and also one of our suit designers," Fury explained as they walked inside the computer lab. "She's designed your new suit. Agent Marcus!" 

Agent Marcus spun around in her chair, smiling broadly at Fury. "Morning!"

"Inside voices, Agent," Fury told her, and the woman apologised, dropping her voice down a bit. "Is it ready?"

"Yup," Marcus nodded, standing up. "Follow me, Agent Odinsdottir."

Karina followed after Marcus, amazed at how chirpy the woman was considering it was 10am on a Monday.

"I've given you a hood more stealth missions and also because I thought you'd look like an assassin from the 18thCentury," Lydia explained as she led Karina to a small side room. "It's looks black but it's actually a super dark purple, because, you know, purple is your colour."

"Thanks?" Karina said slowly as Lydia rummaged through several racks of clothes.

"I've also made you some new boots that are heeled," she poked her head out the rack to look at her, "because being shorter than everyone else is no fun, I know."

Karina chuckled. "Yeah, downside of being Thor's sister is that he's almost a foot taller than me."

"Exactly, so heeled boots that are super comfy and won't break your ankles. Our techies also made this new metal that absorbs sound – it's awesome – so I made you some gauntlets out of that stuff. I engraved a traditional Asgardian pattern onto it, so it wasn't so alien for you."

"Really?" Karina asked as Lydia handed her the gauntlets. "You've put a lot of effort into this."

"I'm making a suit for an Avenger; it has to be perfect as it's your identity." Lydia emerged from the rack of clothes holding the suit. "And besides, Romanoff is going to be pissed that you got a hood and she didn't."

 _Line break_

 _February 28th, 2014_

 _Somewhere over the Atlantic ocean_

Karina cracked her knuckles nervously as they neared their rendezvous point, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. Her first proper mission with Clint and Natasha since she'd started training back in January and it was to get intel on a potential HYDRA base in Safi, Morocco.

Talk about throwing her in the deep end.

Ever since New York, foreign gangs had been popping up on their radar non-stop. Most had simply stolen debris from the invasion. Others had stolen weapons, using them to further their gain and to kill people. They'd got word on a base used by one of the more significant gangs in Morocco where they'd stored weapons they had found. The gang had also hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D, stealing several files and exposing several agent's deep undercover.

They'd been instructed to go in, retrieve the files, discover where they weapons were and call for back – up once discovered.

"We're ten minutes out," Clint called, flicking a few switches on the control panel. "Suit up."

Karina stood up and walked over to the corner of the quinjet where her suit was stored. It was completely different to her Asgardian armour – dark in colour and more flexible. It still had a purple hue to it though and Karina was grateful Lydia had kept her Asgardian origin in mind when designing the suit. The gauntlets were amazing, each one with a slightly different design that looked suspiciously like Thor and Loki's helmets.

Lydia was right about the hood. She _did_ feel like an assassin from the 18thCentury and Natasha was slightly jealous.

Natasha looked over at Karina and could feel how nervous she was, noting her twitchy leg and shaking hands. She quietly walked over to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We're with you," Natasha said quietly, squeezing her shoulder.

Karina nodded. "I know." She sighed as she buckled her sword to her back. "It's the first time I'm doing something on my own, no brother's to look over my back."

Natasha smiled softly. "That's always the hardest. The first mission on your own, being trusted to do a job you're brand new at." She put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You'll be fine."

Karina smiled at her as Natasha walked back to her seat, buckling herself in as Clint announced their descent. Letting out a soft sigh, Karina sat back down in her seat and buckled herself in. She quickly braid the top half of her hair as the jet rocked slightly as they descended, Clint expertly piloting it into their hidden landing spot. Karina closed her eyes, breathing deeply as the jet settled down, the engines powering down with a quiet whine.

"You ready?" Clint asked as he strapped his bow to his back, watching Karina closely.

Karina stood up and let out a breath. She nodded and Clint smiled at her as Natasha lowered the ramp.

 _Safi, Morocco_

For the beginning of March, Safi was _hot_. The sun blazed down above them as they quietly walked through a crumbling archway, looking around them warily. The place looked abandoned, empty bullet casings littering the floor underneath their feet.

"Are we sure this is the right place?" Karina asked quietly, gently drawing her sword. "It looks it hasn't been used in years."

Natasha nodded. "This is the strongest lead we've ever had on this gang, our informant is trust worthy." She stopped next to a wall and looked up, frowning. "There's a door up there."

"I can get up there if you give me a boost," Karina said, sheathing her sword. "Have a look and see what's going on."

Clint stepped forward, cupping his hands together and kneeling down next to the wall. Karina put her foot in his hands, grasping onto the wall as he pushed her up. She rolled over the lip and onto the roof, falling into a crouch and drawing her sword.

Softly, Karina crept across the roof, gently pushing open door and peering inside. It was _filled_ with monitors, computers and weapons but there were no people. Karina tapped her comm, wincing at the feedback as it settled down.

"It's completely empty," Karina told them as she walked inside, looking around. "Filled with weapons and computers but there is no sign of any people. Nor the alien tech."

 _"We're going to go in the front and have a look around, keep on the comms. If anything happens, meet back at the jet,_ " Clint told her, and Karina tried to ignore the fear in her stomach as she looked around the dark room. It didn't look like it'd been abandoned in a hurry, more of a casual, bored evacuation.

Karina knew what she had to do and walked over to a computer, which hummed quietly in the corner, and pressed _enter_ on the keyboard. It whirred quietly and the screen lit up, illuminating her face in the dark room. The windows logo appeared as the login screen finally appeared, demanding a password.

"Password," Karina muttered, looking around for any indication of what it was. She flipped through a pile of folders and froze, eyes catching the title of one in particular.

 _Budapest_

 _Agents: Barton, Clint and Romanoff, Natasha_

Karina carefully opened the file, cursing quietly when she saw that most of it was redacted, leaving only a few joining words here and there. Knowing she wasn't going to get anything from that particular file, she resumed her search for any sign of the password, letting out a triumph cheer when she found the post-it note contain the log in details, silently thanking the short-term memory of whoever had written it down.

Karina quickly typed the password in, clicking enter with the mouse. She grabbed a nearby chair, sitting down in it as the computer logged itself in. Once it'd done so, several tabs popped up, all displaying different things.

"Bingo," Karina muttered, clicking on one entitled 'Alien tech'. It was no secret that the gang had a stash of alien weapons from New York. The Government had been yelling at S.H.I.E.L.D to hunt the gang down and retrieve the weapons ever since word got out that they were missing. It wasn't until two weeks ago that their informant had given them the location of their main base in Safi.

As she scanned through their documents, Karina pulled out the USB and inserted it into the side of the computer, copying the files onto the drive. It didn't take long before the transfer was done, and the computer binged indignantly when she pulled the drive out without ejecting it.

"Guys, I've got it," Karina said into her comms. Silence. "Nat? Clint?" Silence.

Worry began gnawing away at her stomach as she quietly walked towards the other door into the room, gently pulling out a dagger from a sheath at her side. She twirled in her hand, slowly opening the door.

It was silent outside the door. Knowing better than to presume it was empty, Karina sneaked out the door, shutting it softly behind her and creeping along the corridor, back brushing the wall. The lights overhead occasionally flickered, casting a weird, artificial light over the hallway.

Karina could hear distant voices in one of the rooms off to the left of the hallway and quietly moved to stand next to the door. She could clearly hear Natasha speaking in Arabic and could hear some else in the room but couldn't hear Clint.

Silently, Karina sheathed her dagger and grabbed a gun from the holster on her thigh, cocking it as she slowly turned the door knob. Luckily for her, the door didn't creak as it opened, and Karina aimed her gun at the man standing in front of Natasha and Clint.

From her quick glance, Karina saw that neither looked to be in too bad a shape; a few cuts and bruises, Natasha had a graze across her cheek and Clint was unconscious, tied to the pipe on the wall behind them, but they'd _definitely_ suffered worse.

"Hands up," Karina ordered, aim unwavering even as he turned and pointed his gun at her.

"Ah, you're 'back up' I suppose," the man spat, his accent evident. "You're too late."

"So, you keep saying," Natasha muttered. The man turned around and smacked her across the cheek and Karina tightened her grip on her gun, glaring at the man as Natasha spat blood on the floor.

"I've downloaded the entirety of your database and sent it to Shield, therefore, we are not too late." Karina took a small step forward.

The man chuckled, taking a step forward too. "This base is set to explode in fifteen minutes. You and your fellow 'agents' will not be leaving this place alive. The information you have precured is of little relevance to us anymore. We have evolved."

Karina took another step forward. "We will be leaving alive if I shoot you and untie them."

"We'll see."

Something suddenly hit Karina in the neck, and she took one hand away from the gun, raising it to her neck. A small dart was sticking out and Karina's brain began to panic as her legs gave way underneath her and the ground rushed up to meet her.

 _Line break_

" – ria. Wake up for god's sake."

Karina groaned loudly, squinting against the light above her. "What? What god?"

Natasha sighed in relief, leaning back against the chair she was tied to as she stared down at the woman on the floor in front of her. "You good?"

Karina slowly sat up, struggling slightly as her hands were tied behind her back. "I think I am. How long was I out?"

"Five minutes, ish," Natasha replied, looking over her shoulder at Clint as he groaned loudly. "We've got ten minutes before this base explodes."

"The base is going to explode?" Clint groaned, smacking his head on the pipe as he leant back. "Ow."

"Yeah, you're tied to the wall by the way," Karina told him as she tried to wriggle her hands free. "Permission to use magic?"

Natasha stared at her incredusoly. "You don't need to ask permission, Ria, just do it."

"Sorry, the last time I did so without asking you beat me up."

"Because you weren't allowed to, then."

Karina rolled her eyes as she quickly burnt through the thick, coarse ropes tying her hands together. They fell to the floor, smoke wafting off the still burning rope. Karina quickly stood up, rushing over to Natasha and untying her ropes and handing her a hidden dagger from her boot.

"You get Clint, I'll try the door," Karina said as she handed the dagger over. Natasha nodded and quickly rushed over to her friend, kneeling down in front of him.

The door rattled in its frame as Karina turned the knob and tried to pull it open. "Why do they always insist on making this difficult?" She muttered as she retrieved a hair grip from her hair and began trying to pick the lock.

"I'm fine, by the way," Clint called as Natasha helped him stand up.

"I know you are," Karina replied. "You were complaining." She looked over her shoulder at her friend and winked at his put-out expression. "I'm having door issues, by the way."

"Just blast it," Clint muttered, holding his head.

"Oh, so _now_ can use my magic," Karina said, glaring at the two assassins as she took a step back and summoned a large, purple fire ball. She threw it at the door, the fire metaling the hinges instantly and causing the door to fall to the ground with a thud. "Tada."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Come on."

The trio stepped over the door, looking into the corridor for any sign of the Hydra agent before beginning to wonder their way down. The lights above them kept flickering on and off, making it twice as difficult to see.

Karina's eyes glowed and a fire ball floated above them, lighting their way with an eerie purple glow.

"I'm still not used to that," Clint muttered, staring at the glowing orb with wide eyes. "You can just snap your fingers and poof, fire."

Karina chuckled quietly as she withdrew her sword from its scabbard. "More often than not, yeah. It gets harder to summon when I'm reaching burn out."

"Burn out?" Natasha repeated as they cleared a room on the left. "Explain?"

Karina paused, looking in to a room filled with empty cabinets. "My magic requires a lot of energy depending on how much I use. If I use too much energy I burn out." She looked back at them and saw confusion. "Basically, I pass out."

"Oh."

An alarm suddenly started blaring around them and red lights began flashing above them. There was a loud clanging noise and the door behind them shut with a bang.

"That doesn't look or sound good," Karina said quietly, slowly turning around to face Natasha. "I think the five-minute countdown's begun."

" _Self – destruct in two minutes._ "

"I thought he said fifteen!" Karina exclaimed as another door to their side slammed shut.

"Evidently he lied!" Natasha yelled. "Time to run!"

Karina quickly took off after Clint and Natasha, looking around in a panic as the doors either side of the began to deadlock shut. Somewhere behind them there was a distant boom and the entire base rocked, dust cascading down from the ceiling.

"That didn't feel like two minutes!" Karina yelled, grabbing onto Natasha's arm as she struggled to keep standing.

"They probably overrode the countdown, trying to kill us as soon as they can," Clint replied, pushing Karina into a run. "We need to get out of here before we have a ton of rubble and metal on top of us."

Ignoring the numerous injuries, they all had, the trio ran down the hallway, taking the metal stairs two at a time as another blast rocked the base. Karina stumbled slightly, grabbing onto the railing tightly as the walkway above them collapsed, blocking the easy way out.

"Looks like we're climbing!" Natasha exclaimed as she started climbing up the wall, pushing herself up onto the next level with the edge of a pipe. She extended a hand down to Clint and helped him up, dragging him onto the walkway.

"Karina, come on!" Natasha exclaimed, holding her hand out again. Karina stepped forward, reaching out for her hand when a pipe burst through the wall, crashing into the ground where Karina was standing. She quickly stepped back, eyes wide as she stared at the pipe, panting.

"Holy shit!" Karina exclaimed quietly, trying to calm her panicking heart.

"You alright?" Clint asked, leaning down to look at her.

Karina nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." She put her foot on the pipe, testing it to make sure it didn't fall any further, and stood on top of it, reaching up to Natasha. Natasha grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the walkway as the walkway that was beneath her collapsed into the one below it.

"That was close," Karina panted, lying down on the metal grates. "I don't think this base is going to be standing much longer."

"Agreed." Natasha pulled Karina to her feet. "How did you get down here?'

Karina looked around, squinting slightly in the darkness. "Up, left, up, right, tada."

"Of course," Clint grunted, leaning on the railings. "And it was completely empty when you left?'

"No one was in there, just a ton of computers and files," Karina replied. "I got photos of a few files and downloaded their whole hard drive onto the USB. But it was completely deserted."

"We're going that way, then," Natasha replied, leading the way down the walkway towards the ladder leading up to the walkway above them.

After climbing the ladder, they took a sharp left turn down another corridor as, yet another blast rocked the base, the metal groaning around them. Karina could feel the heat from beneath them as another explosion occurred and knew they were running out of time.

" _Self – destruct in 10, 9 –"_

They turned right, speeding up when they saw the room Karina had started in. The door was caved in but there was a large pile of twisted metal and debris blocking the way in, but they scrambled over it, ignoring the grazes and cuts it gave them as the countdown continued and the heat grew stronger.

" _5, 4, 3 –"_

They made it onto the roof as the base _finally_ exploded beneath them. Karina summoned her magic, throwing a force field around them as the explosion rushed up to the top, blasting them through the air and onto the concrete ground below them. She used her forcefield to try and soften their landing, struggling to maintain it as the orange flames licked at the purple fire, the heat intense on Karina's face as she landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

Karina just laid there as the smoking debris and dust settled around them, the fire dying back to the inside of the building. Her back hurt from how hard she'd slammed into the ground and she had a migraine building up from using too much magic in one go. Slowly, she let out her breath, trying to calm her heart down, her nose itching with the dust and smoke sneaking up it as she breathed in.

Her eyes rang and she closed her eyes, trying to block the bright light out from her eyes as her migraine grew. There was a loud bang as more debris fall onto the ground, metal pipes rolling about on the ground as paper floated down from the offices.

Karina turned her head slightly and saw Natasha and Clint lying next to her, both groaning quietly. There was a lot of bricks and pipes scattered around them but no people due to their remote location.

"Well," Karina said quietly, wincing at her head as it pounded. "We fucked that up, didn't we?"

 _Line break_

Fury slammed the file down onto the desk, glaring at the three agents in front of him. None of them flinched, however, as he stared at them through his one eye.

"You had one job." He stood up and crossed his arms. "Gather intel, search for the weapons and call for back - up once done." Fury sighed. "Instead, you blow the base to pieces, loosing alien weapons and the gang in the process."

None of them said anything. All three of them were trying to avoid Fury's gaze, looking everywhere but his eye.

"All of you are dismissed apart from Odinsdottir," Fury replied, waving a hand at the door. Natasha and Clint go up, shooting Karina sympathetic glances as they passed. They shut the door behind them, the click as it reached the door frame sounding louder than usual.

"Sir –"

"Did you get it?" Fury asked, looking at Karina expectantly.

Karina sighed and reached inside her suit pocket and pulled out a Chitauri core, carefully handing it over to Fury. "I found it when I was trying to find Natasha and Clint. The only one I could find."

Fury nodded, turning the core over in his hand. "And the files?"

Karina chucked the USB onto his desk. "All on there. Budapest, Singapore, Moscow, Edinburgh, Texas, they're all on there."

"Thank you, Karina," Fury said, giving her a single nod. "I don't trust many people –"

"No, really? Couldn't have guessed."

"Do not make me regret saying this, Odinsdottir."

"Sorry, sir."

"As I was saying, I don't trust many people, I don't even trust the agents working under me. But you've proven today, that I can trust you. So, thank you."

Karina smirked at him, leaning back in her seat and crossing her ankles. "Are you getting sentimental, Sir?"

"Get out, Odinsdottir."

"Right away, Nick."

" _Now_."

* * *

 **A/N: Winter Soldier next which is one of my all-time favourite Marvel movies! Also, I haven't had a review on a chapter in ages so, if you enjoy this story, come and say hi!**

 ** _incorrect Quote:_**

 **Thor: Shut up! I got this**

 **Karina: [watching Thor push on a pull door] No, you haven't**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: We're at Winter Soldier! Just a heads up, I'm moving to Scotland in three weeks time so updates are probably going to be very sproadic.**

 **Thanks for the reviews last chapter, made me week replying to you all!**

* * *

 _10th April, 2014_

Karina sat down in the back of the car with a huff, tucking her hair behind her ears. She slammed the car door shut and leant back in her seat, angrily clicking her seat belt into place.

"What's wrong with you?" Natasha asked, looking at her in the rear-view mirror as she pulled out onto the road.

"Nothing," Karina replied quietly, tying her hair up in a bun with a stray hairband in her pocket. "Why?"

"You sighed."

"I _always_ sigh. Normally in despair at stupid people but not always."

Natasha hummed thoughtfully as she put her indicator on, coming to a stop at the lights. "It was your date, wasn't it?"

Karina growled. "He stood me up. And then sent a message saying he was stuck in traffic." She glared at Natasha through the rear-view mirror. "There was _no_ traffic within a ten miles radius of the coffee house. And he lives three miles away."

Natasha chuckled quietly at the furious expression on her friends face. "You can take your anger out during our mission. God forbid if Rumlow annoys you today."

"Don't kill me if I punch him in the face for being a prick," Karina replied, sliding down in the backseat, arms crossed.

"Kill you? I'll throw you on my shoulders and run around the Triskelion cheering your name. I _hate_ the guy."

Karina laughed. "I think Steve's broken someone," she said as they pulled up to the curb, watching as Steve helped the man to his feet.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Natasha commented as she rolled down the passenger window. "Hey fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil."

"That's hilarious," Steve said as he walked over to them and sat down in the car. "Who came up with that one?"

"Karina."

"Me."

Steve rolled his eyes as he put his seatbelt on, turning to face his new friend.

"How you doing?" He asked, eyeing up Natasha and the car appreciatively.

"Hey," Natasha replied, smirking.

Karina leant forward, resting her head on Steve's shoulder. "Less flirting, more moving. I've got ass to kick."

Steve chuckled, swatting Karina's arm playfully as she sat back. "Can't run everywhere."

His friend chuckled, shaking his head. "No, you can't."

Natasha revved the engine and quickly pulled away from the curb, flying through the traffic lights as they turned to amber.

"Ok," Steve began, turning in his seat to look at Karina. "What's wrong?"

Karina looked up from her phone and frowned. "Nothing, why?"

"Your face tells me differently."

"This is my normal bitch face."

"No, your normal bitch face is significantly less terrifying than the one you're currently wearing."

"She got stood up," Natasha said, honking as someone pulled out in front of them.

Karina huffed. "He said he was stuck in traffic… _there was none_."

"Ah." Steve looked at his friend. "Don't murder Rumlow."

"I do have some restraint."

"No, you don't," Natasha and Steve said together, chuckling as Karina glared at them through the rear-view mirror.

"You guys suck."

 _Line break_

 _Indian Ocean_

Karina sat with one foot on the chair as she did up her boots, watching Rumlow explain their target with a glare.

"I'm pretty sure if you glare at him _any_ harder, he will burn alive," Natasha whispered, sitting down next to her.

"He'd deserve it," Karina muttered, angrily pulling on her laces. "I don't get why he's on our team."

"Because he's good?"

"He's a dick."

"The majority of good combat agents are dicks, Ria."

"Clint isn't."

Natasha sighed. "He doesn't count."

"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform: The Lemurian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them, 93 minutes ago." Rumlow swiped the monitor to display the plans of the ship.

"Any demands?" Steve asked, noting Karina's steely glare towards Rumlow's back as she moved over to them, zipping up her suit.

"A billion and a half."

"Why so steep?"

"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D's," Rumlow replied.

Steve sighed. "So it's not off – course, it's trespassing."

"I'm sure they have good reason," Natasha said quickly, standing next to Karina.

"You know," Steve began, turning to her, "I'm getting tired of being Fury's janitor."

"Relax," Natasha waved a hand, "it's not that complicated."

Karina smiled at him as she crossed her arms. "It'll be fun."

Steve rolled his eyes. "How many pirates?"

"Twenty – five, top mercs, led by this guy." Rumlow tapped the monitor and a photo of a large, thug of a man appeared. "Georges Batroc. Ex – DGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions? This guy's got a rep for maximum causalities."

"Hostages?"

"Uh…" Rumlow swiped the monitor and a list of people on the ship appeared. "Mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell." Sitwell's photo appeared and Karina glared at it. Sitwell did _not_ like her. "They're in the gallery."

Steve turned to Karina. "What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Karina shrugged, frowning. "Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, Ria, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life-pods, get 'em out. Let's move!"

Karina followed Nat to their corner of the ship, picking up her new sword from its holder on the wall and putting it in the scabbard on her back.

Steve walked over to them, talking into his wrist communicator. "Secure channel seven."

"Seven secure," Natasha replied as her and Karina both secure the channel. "Did you two do anything fun Saturday night?"

"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so…no, not really," Steve replied, putting his ear comm in. "Ria?"

Karina smiled as she untied her hair, gently untangling the hair band from the knot it got caught in. "I started watching Merlin, it's really quite good. Loving the obvious romance between the two main characters."

"I heard about that show," Natasha said, taking pity on Karina and helping her untangle the hair band. "Clint's obsessed with it."

"Should I add it to the list?" Steve asked as Karina flipped her hair back and put the hood of her suit up.

"Obviously, it's got magic and swords, it's basically me."

 _"Coming up on the drop zone, Cap."_

"You know, if you Kristen out, from Statistics, she'd probably say yes," Natasha said as Steve pushed the button that lowered the ramp.

"Oh, she's cute," Karina added, smirking at Steve's expression of despair as he buckled his helmet on.

"That's why I don't ask," he replied, picking up his shield and putting it on his back.

"Too shy or too scared?" Natasha yelled over the wind as Steve turned around.

"Too busy!" he replied as he jumped out of the jet.

"See," Karina began, pointing at where Steve had been, "when you ask him about his love life, he jumps out of a jet. At least I answer your questions."

Natasha frowned, turning to stare at her friend. "You _don't_ answer them, you lie. Every time."

Karina shrugged as she walked down the ramp. "I never said I answered them honestly!"

"She wasn't wearing a parachute either, was she?" An agent asked as Karina followed after Steve.

Rumlow shook his head. "No. No, she wasn't."

 _Line break_

As she neared the ship, Karina put her hands out, summoning her magic to slow her descent onto the front of the ship. She bent her knees as she landed, quickly ducking behind a large pole sticking out from the ship as a patrol of pirates walked past.

There was a light splash as Steve pushed himself onto the deck, dripping water everywhere as he went. The patrol turned around and ran towards him, guns raised. Steve made quick work of them all, disarming them all and knocking them out.

Unfortunately, he didn't see the rouge pirate sneaking up behind him.

"Bouge pas! Bouge pas!"

Steve slowly turned around, raising his hands in the air as one of the pirates aimed his gun at him. Karina quietly withdrew her own gun, ready to shoot him, when Rumlow parachuted down, shooting the pirate straight in the head.

"Thanks," Steve said as Rumlow unbuckled his parachute.

"Yeah. You seemed pretty helpless without me," Rumlow replied as Natasha landed next to Steve.

Karina rolled her eyes, putting her gun back in its holster as she walked up to Natasha, resisting the urge to wipe the smirk of Rumlow's face.

"What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you?" Natasha asked Steve as she threw her parachute onto the ground. "She seems kind of nice."

"Kate?" Karina pulled her hood up over her head again, flipping her hair over one shoulder. "She is cute."

Steve sighed. "Secure the engine room, then find me a date."

"We're multitasking!" Natasha and Karina said together as Steve ran off towards the main deck of the ship.

"Kate is cute, though," Karina said suddenly as they walked towards the engine room. "She makes me lemon drizzle cake."

Natasha stopped and looked at Karina. "I never took you as a lemon drizzle kinda girl."

Karina shrugged as she vaulted over the railings. "Kate's just _really_ good at making it."

They peeked their heads around the corner and saw one of the pirates with their back to them. He was on the phone to, presumably, the gallery where the hostages were and was blissfully oblivious to their presence behind him.

"All yours," Karina said quietly, winking at Natasha.

Natasha quietly snuck up behind the pirate, leaning on the railing next to her as the pirate hung the phone up and turned around, stopping suddenly in shock at seeing Natasha behind him.

"Hey sailor," Natasha said seductively, winking at the pirate. Using his shock to her advantage, Natasha quickly punched him in the face, knocking him out. She then flipped herself over the railings, firing a grappling hook to the walkway above and swung down to the floor below, shooting the pirates awaiting her as she went.

Karina flew down, landing gently on the floor. "You scared the shit out of him."

"He either knew who I was or had never seen a woman before," Natasha said as they stepped over the pirates and continued making their way to the engine room.

"I'm going with the latter."

It didn't take them long to find the engine room, the noise was enough of an indication that they were going the right way.

"I'm surprised Steve hasn't asked why I'm here yet," Karina said quietly as they cleared a corridor. "This isn't exactly _goddess_ level."

Natasha shrugged. "You're an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, he probably thought this was a routine operation and you're backup."

"Just not the backup he wanted," Karina muttered, peeking around the corner and looked down through the floor. Four pirates, all armed. "How we doing this?"

"Two each?"

"Can I use my sword?"

Natasha resisted the urge to sigh and roll her eyes. "If it gets the job done, be my guest."

Karina cheered quietly, drawing her sword from her back and swinging it gently. "Finally, ass to kick."

The two women dropped down to the deck below and quickly began running towards the pirates.

" _Natasha, Karina, what's your status?"_ Steve asked over comms. They both ignored him, not wanting to give away their position to the pirates ahead. " _Status_?"

"Hang on!" Natasha yelled as she jumped onto the closest Pirates back, tasering him with her bracelets as Karina slid under the legs of the other pirate, swinging her sword around so that it sliced him in the legs. As Natasha rolled off the pirates shoulders, quickly moving into a crouch and running over to the next one, Karina spun around on her knees, seeing the final pirate running towards her. She stood up, swinging her sword about slightly, a slight purple hue appearing across her right hand as she walked towards the pirate.

It took one slice across his shoulder and stomach to send him to the floor.

Karina turned to look at Natasha, blowing lightly on her sword, chuckling at her friend as she rolled her eyes.

"Engine room secure," Natasha said into her wrist as Karina made her way back over, sheathing her sword. "You cheated – again."

"I did not," Karina gaped. "Your definition of cheating is very skewed."

Natasha sighed heavily. "Just walk, Ria, just walk."

 _Line break_

Steve stood up as soon as he'd smashed through the window, lightly dusting the broken glass off his shoulders as he chased after Batroc.

" _Hostages en route to extraction. Romanoff and Odinsdottir missed the rendezvous point, Cap. Hostiles still in play,"_ Rumlow said over the comms and Steve closed his eyes, sighing. This wasn't going well.

"Natasha, Karina, Batroc's on the move," Steve said, lifting his wrist to his mouth. "Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages." There was silence after his words and Steve felt a pang of worry in his gut. "Natasha, Karina!"

 _Line break_

"I do feel bad about not telling him," Karina said quietly as she typed into the computer, spinning the chair she was sat in around as she waited for it to load.

"It was Fury's orders, he can blame him," Natasha replied, watching Karina spin about with a humours smirk on her face. "You do really love those, don't you?"

"It's a chair that rolls and spins, it's the best thing ever!" Karina exclaimed, clicking on the file that'd finally loaded. "Bingo."

Natasha moved to stand over her shoulder. "That everything?"

"Everything related to S.H.I.E.L.D," Karina replied, clicking open one of the documents to show Natasha.

"Scoot your butt." Natasha pushed Karina's chair to the left slightly as she inserted the USB into the port in front of the computer. "Keep an eye on the door."

"As if you need me to keep an eye on the door," Karina muttered, spinning around.

Natasha didn't reply, too busy downloading the S.H.I.E.L.D data onto the USB, her typing the only sound in the room.

The door to the room they were in suddenly crashed to the floor, Batroc falling on top of it and groaning quietly. Karina looked up and saw Steve standing there, panting, and looking very annoyed.

"Well," Natasha began, looking over and smirking at Steve. "This is awkward." She turned to Karina. "What happened to watching the door?"

"S'up." Karina waved, spinning around in her chair. "I watched it fall in."

"What are you two doing?" Steve asked, his annoyance and anger towards them evident.

"Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into," Natasha replied, continuing her typing.

"Rumlow needed your help," Steve replied snappily. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He marched over to them, Karina scooting towards the desk to avoid his path. He stopped behind Natasha his eyes scanning the computer screen before him.

"You're saving S.H.I.E.L.D intel."

"Whatever I can get my hands on," Natasha replied. "Ria found most of it."

Steve stared at Natasha. "Our mission is to rescue hostages."

"No, that's your mission." The computer binged and Natasha pulled the USB out, pocketing it and winking at Karina. She patted Steve on the arm as Karina stood up, pushing the chair under the desk. "And you've done it beautifully."

Natasha turned to leave but Steve grabbed her arm, halting her. He looked between Karina and Natasha, anger brimming. "You two have just jeopardized this whole operation."

"I think that's overstating things," Natasha replied.

Karina stepped between the two, putting a hand on Steve's arm. "Steve, look –"

Karina trailed off mid-sentence as Batroc suddenly stood up, glaring at the three of them. He quickly drew a grenade from his belt, throwing the pin out and chucking it at them as he fled the room. Steve quickly deflected the grenade and grabbed Natasha as Karina vaulted over the desks. Natasha fired her gun at the window in front of them, smashing the glass as Karina followed Steve and Natasha through the window, the grenade exploding behind them.

Steve groaned as Karina landed next to him, glass and debris showering down onto them as the fire behind them smouldered away. He glanced down at her, letting out a soft sigh of relief when he saw that she was fine.

"Okay," Natasha panted, wincing as she sat up against the wall. "That one's on me."

"You're damn right," Steve growled, standing up and walking out the room. He slammed the door shut behind him angrily, the door rattling slightly.

"I'm not taking the blame for that," Karina added, jumping to her feet, dusting shards of glass off her back. "That's all on you." She winked at Natasha as she left, ignoring the glare and rude gesture the assassin sent back in response.

 _Line break_

Karina followed behind Steve as he marched through the Triskelion, agents practically leaping out of his way as he passed. They'd just got back from the Lemurian Star and Steve was, for lack of a better word, _pissed._ He hadn't given Karina a chance to change out of her uniform before he'd dragged her down to Fury's office, Natasha somehow escaping his wrath as soon as they landed.

Not wanting to anger him anymore than he already was, Karina had quietly followed after him, keeping her hood up as they walked through the Triskelion. She'd seen the pitying looks Cameron and Lydia had given her as she passed their station, not surprised that they knew what had happened.

Fury looked up as Steve slammed open his office door, Karina catching it before it hit the wall behind and quietly shutting it behind her.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying!" Steve exclaimed, coming to a stop in front of Fury's desk.

"I didn't lie. Agents Romanoff and Odinsdottir had a different mission than yours," Fury replied calmly.

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share."

"I'm not obliged to do anything."

Steve sighed, closing his eyes. "Those hostages could've died, Nick."

"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen."

"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns."

Fury stood up. "Last time I trusted someone; I lost an eye."

Karina frowned, looking at Fury and raised her eyebrows, knowing the truth in that statement, but let it go.

Fury sighed. "Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agents Romanoff and Odinsdottir are comfortable with everything. Almost, everything."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their owns."

"It wasn't a mission," Karina muttered quietly, "it was an extra challenge." Steve shot a glare at Karina as she shuffled about slightly.

"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all," Fury replied, leaning on his desk.

"Except you."

"You're wrong about me," Fury replied, walking around his desk and towards the door. "I do share. I'm nice like that." He opened it and waltzed out, his coat swishing behind him. Steve grabbed the door and held it open for Karina as she passed, the goddess nodding her head in appreciation.

Fury led them to down the corridor and to the elevator overlooking the outside of the building.

"Insight bay," he called, clasping his hands in front of him.

" _Captain Rogers and Agent Odinsdottir do not have clearance for Project Insight_ ," the computer informed them as the doors shut but the elevator didn't move.

"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J."

" _Confirmed."_

The elevator started moving down, whirring quietly as it passed the floors. Karina felt slightly intimidated by the two men standing either side of her. She was the shortest in the room and couldn't help but feel shorter than she actually was standing next to the two giants.

"You know," Steve began quietly, smiling fondly, "they used to play music."

Fury nodded. "Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say, 'hi', people would say hi back. Time went on, neighbourhood got rougher. He'd say 'hi', they'd say, 'keep on steppin'. Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tigther."

"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asked, genuine curiosity on his face.

"Every week some punk would say, 'what's in the bag?'"

"What did he do?"

Fury chuckled quietly. "He'd show 'em. Bunch of crumpled ones and a loaded .22 Magnum." Fury smiled fondly. "Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much."

Karina opened her mouth to say something but closed it slowly as her eyes and mind were distracted by what approached them as they descended. Three giant helicarriers, at least twenty, heavy, large guns on each one.

"Yeah, I know," Fury said, noticing Steve's shocked face and Karina's silence. "They're a little bigger than a .22."

 _Line break_

Karina was in a permanent state of shock and surprise as Fury led them around the hanger underneath the Potomac. Sparks flew down from some of the helicarriers as final preparations were made, welding guns and securing ships to the landing deck of each ship. The hanger was bustling with engineers and agents scurrying about to finish whatever jobs they'd been assigned, the majority of them nodding respectfully as Fury passed.

"This is Project Insight," Fury began, gesturing to the three helicarriers. "Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."

"Launched from the Lemurian Star," Steve finished, everything finally beginning to make sense.

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines."

"Stark?"

"Well." Fury sighed. "He had a few suggestions once he got an up-close look at our old turbines. These new long-range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen."

"So, it's technically a high – tech assassin?" Karina asked, frowning.

"And I thought the punishment came after the crime," Steve muttered, crossing his arms.

"We can't afford to wait that long," Fury replied, glaring at the two of them as the judged him.

Steve sighed. "Who's 'we'?"

"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis." Fury shrugged. "For once we're way ahead of the curve."

"By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection," Steve retorted.

"And not just Earth, _any_ threat that dares come within 100 miles of Earth's orbit," Karina added."

"You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff." Fury turned his one eye onto Karina. "Considering you're a warrior, Odinsdottir, I'm surprised you're not more on board. You've killed people to keep the peace, kept an eye on your worlds."

"Because we are in charge of eight other worlds, all with their own agendas. And no, I haven't killed people, that's the difference between me and my brother. I don't kill people, I negotiate. If that makes me weak, then so be it. I'd rather be a good person than a good soldier."

Steve nodded. "We compromised. We all did. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this fear."

"S.H.I.E.L.D takes the world as it is, not was we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap. You too, Karina."

"Don't hold your breath," Steve muttered as he turned on his heel and walked off back towards the elevator. Karina quickly followed behind him, giving Fury a small shrug as she turned.

She joined S.H.I.E.L.D to protect people and keep them free, not to sentence them to death for actions they had yet to commit. Karina knew she couldn't openly admit to not being onboard with the idea, she was lucky the Security Council hadn't taken advantage of her being on Earth and used her as a weapon. Drawing attention to herself could mean the end of that freedom.

But how could she keep quiet when the world she cared so much for was threatened? She couldn't just simply stand by and watch their freedom being taken away; she'd done that too many times on Asgard.

"Ria?"

Karina jumped slightly, blinking furiously as she realised, she was standing in the elevator with Steve, her hands glowing purple ever so slightly. She clenched her fists, willing her magic to calm _the heck down_ , and slowly exhaled.

"I'm fine," she replied, smiling up at Steve. "What?'

"Nothing."

"I can practically see the question marks rolling out of your brain, so what?"

Steve sighed. "There's an exhibition on at the Smithsonian Museum, no I don't know why it's there, about Captain America before, you know –"

"You went all Elsa?"

"I went all what?"

"Elsa," Karina repeated. "You know, from Frozen?" Steve's face remained blank. "Not important, I'll make you watch it later. Carry on."

Steve sighed. "I want to go."

Karina nodded, smiling knowledgably. "But not alone, I'm guessing?"

"Precisely."

Karina chuckled. "If you give me a lift, I'll come."

"How did you get here in the first place?" Steve asked, frowning. "I mean, after the mission."

"Nat dropped me off."

"Of course, she did," Steve said, chuckling. "You'll have to sit on the back of my bike."

Karina shrugged. "I like riding your bike, it's fun. Give me ten minutes to get changed and I'll meet you in the garage."

 _Line break_

 _Smithsonian Museum, Washington D.C_

Karina looked around in awe at the sheer size of the museum as her and Steve walked in to the lobby. Large aircraft models, space shuttles and actual planes hung from the ceiling, dominating the large, hanger like space. It was fairly busy for a Thursday afternoon, a lot of school tour groups dotted about in their respective colours and there were a lot of older people simply there to remember.

The ' _Captain America: Remembering a Hero'_ exhibition was by far getting the most attention. A large mural painting of Steve as Captain America was on the right hand wall as they walked in, several kids running up to it and saluting their childhood hero.

' _A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honour, bravery and sacrifice.'_

Karina quietly left Steve to wonder, knowing her needed to do some of it alone, and walked off, reading the walls, staring at the pieces on display and slowly realising how important Captain America was to America and its people. She'd put the hood up on her black hoodie – that she was pretty sure belonged to Natasha and she'd nicked it a while back – not wanting to draw the attention away from the exhibition and history before them.

 _'Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier.'_

Karina came to a stop in front of one board in particular, recognising the man on the board from several photos she'd found of Steve online.

' _James Buchanan, Bucky, Barnes, Howling Commando and childhood best friend of Steven Rogers. Barnes was conscripted into the army in 1943 and joined the 107thInfantry Regiment, quickly rising through the ranks to become a Sargent. Only a few months later, however, Barnes and his regiment were captured by HYDRA, where Barnes was experimented on by former HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D scientist, Arnim Zola._

 _Barnes and the rest of his regiment were rescued by Rogers, who had transformed into Captain America during Barnes' military absence and training, and the two friends joined forces. Barnes and Rogers, along with the Howling Commandos, continued their war efforts, taking down HYDRA bases and halting the Red Skull's forces._

 _It was during an attempt to capture Zola and his crew that Barnes died. Caught in an ambush, Barnes fell from Zola's train, plummeting hundreds of feet through the air. Nobody was ever recovered, but Barnes was presumed dead, officially listed as MIA._

 _In the months after Steven Rogers' apparent death, the world mourned the two friends with the SSR erecting a monument in their memory outside their main base in New York City._

 _Bucky Barnes was the only Howling Commando to lose his life in serving his country._

Karina smiled sadly, looking up at the grainy, black and white picture of Bucky taken a week before his death. She moved over to the old film reel footage of the two, smiling at the happiness on both their faces despite the horrors they had faced.

She slipped past a group of school children, squeezing through a gap in the crowds, and walked towards the quieter side of the exhibition. Karina had read about Peggy Carter in the months after Greenwich and admired the woman immensely. She spotted another glass board, like Bucky's, but with a giant picture of Peggy on it. There was also a small side room behind the board where a large screen was projecting an interview with Peggy. Not many people were inside it, most choosing to view Captain America's uniform and motorbike, but Karina, not that she'd ever admit it, would rather know more about the people behind the mask.

 _Margaret Elizabeth 'Peggy' Carter was one of the most prominent agents of the SSR during and after World War II and one of the main founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. Before joining the SSR, Carter worked as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park, joining the Special Operations Executive following her brother's death. Carter later joined the SSR, a special military division formed to fight the rogue Nazi faction, HYDRA. During a mission in Germany, she saved the scientist Abraha Erskine from Johann Schmidt, her success in this mission enabling the SSR to start Project Rebirth and develop their Super Soldier Serum allowing them to make an army of Super Soldiers._

 _During Project Rebirth, she befriended Steve Rogers, who would later become Captain America. In 1943, after the abrupt end of Project Rebirth, Carter assisted the newly transformed Steve Rogers in becoming the world's first superhero. Carter assisted Roger's in his rescuing of the 107thinfantry from the grip of HYDRA and helped him in the fight against the Red Skull._

 _After Roger's disappearance in 1945, Carter continued to work with the SSR, fighting against HYDRA and capturing the last high – ranking HYDRA officer, Werner Reinhardt. Even after the war ended, Carter continued her service with the SSR once the war ended, helping her former colleague, the later Howard Stark, clear his name when he was accused of being a traitor to the state._

 _The two friends continued to work together, Carter helping Stark found the new peacekeeping organization, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Carter quickly rose through the ranks, whilst also marrying an Allied soldier and becoming a mother of two children, continuing her service in S.H.I.E.L.D during the turbulent years of the Cold War. In 1970, Carter became the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, retiring in the early 2000's and watching her niece follow in her footsteps._

Karina smiled fondly at the picture of Peggy, stepping around the board and walking inside the side room where her interview was playing. Steve was already inside, and Karina quietly sat down next to him, gently grabbing his hand in hers, noting the mixture of emotions on his face as he watched his first – and potentially last – love on the screen in front of him.

Steve looked over at her and smiled sadly, squeezing her hand back as they watched Peggy's interview.

 _"That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapper half our battalion behind the German line. Steve…"_ Peggy paused, noting her slip up, " _Captain Rogers, fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would…who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life."_

Steve pulled out a crumpled black and white photo of Peggy, holding it gently as the screen went black, signalling the end of the interview. His eyes scanned every detail, his heart clenching in sadness as he sighed heavily, willing the tears to not fall. To everyone else, it'd been 70 years since they'd last seen him. But to him? It was only two years. And in that time, the whole world, and everything he thought he'd known, had changed.

* * *

 **Man I love Peggy. She's in my top five favourite MCU women, she's just such a badass! Next chapter we've got an elevator fight, Karina and Peggy get to meet for the first time and a fair amount of sass.**

 **See you at some point, I may be in Scotland, I may not, who knows! Please review, I'm on holiday so I'll definitely reply!**

 _ **Incorrect Quote:**_

 **Thor: Did you have to stab him?**

 **Karina: You weren't there. You didn't hear what he said to me**

 **Thor: What did he say?**

 **Karina: What you gonna do, stab me?**

 **Loki: Fair enough**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hello! We're back with Winter Soldier and ya girl's moving to Scotland in three days so this is probably going to be the last update for a few weeks.**

 **Thank you to Guest and Kourtney Najjar for your reviews and to those who followed and favourited!**

 **Guest: Thank you! I did alright in them (thank god)**

 **Kourtney Najjar: I'm so glad you're enjoying this story!**

 **We've got the elevator fight (aka the best scene in any MCU movie ever) and some other stuff...yeah...**

* * *

Karina stepped off Steve's motorbike, slipping her hands into her pockets as he kicked the stand down and pulled the keys out.

"Thank you for coming with me," Steve said quietly as they walked inside the care home.

Karina shrugged. "It's alright. Besides, you're my ride back to the apartment."

Steve chuckled as he signed them both in, giving the receptionist a wave as they passed. She waved back at them and another nurse walked past them, giving Steve a friendly smile.

"When did you find out she was still alive?" Karina asked as they walked down the corridor, trying to avoid being in the way of the residents milling about.

"About two, three months after New York. Tony was doing some research for me, finding out who was still alive, what happened to my stuff etc. He'd visited her a few times, they're very close. Peggy helped him after his parent's died, talked him down and helped him get sober. Tony gave me the address and offered to come with me." Steve sighed. "He'd told me about the Alzheimer's, warned me that she might not remember me for long…but it was _so_ hard the first time it happened."

Karina nodded. "You'd just found her again and then you lost her all over again."

"Yeah. I try and visit her when I can, but I fear that I upset her every time I visit, and she forgets. I'm putting her through the shock all over again and at her age…I don't know."

Karina stopped walking and grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a halt. "Steve, your visits probably mean the world to Peggy. She loves you and knowing you're still alive and living has most likely given her a sense of happiness and closure that she never thought she'd get. She lost you for 70 years. Getting to see you again, no matter how painful it is to her or you, is the best thing that could happen to her in her late years."

Karina looked up at Steve and smiled sadly, seeing the tears filling his eyes. "Hey." She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. She didn't care that he was crying, losing the love of your life over and over again hurt like hell.

"I'm sorry," Steve sniffed quietly, hugging Karina back as she rubbed his back.

"Don't ever apologise for getting emotional, Steve," Karina replied back, kissing his cheek as they let go. "Now, go and see your girl."

"She'd love to meet you too," Steve told her as they resumed their walk, nearing Peggy's room. "When I came to see her after New York she kept asking me all these questions about you. Peggy was fascinated, not just because you're a goddess, but because you managed to render Tony Stark speechless."

Karina laughed. "I'd love to meet her." They stopped outside her room, Steve hesitating slightly to go in, shifting his feet on the carpet.

"If you're coming in, please hurry up, I'm growing old in here!" Peggy called and Karina laughed as Steve's face flushed red. Giving him a quick push, Karina watched with a smile as Steve walked in, leaning in to give Peggy a kiss on the cheek.

'I'll wait here,' she mouthed at his silent question and smiled when he thanked her.

Karina leant against the wall outside Peggy's room, quietly watching the people wandering past, smiling at them all when recognition appeared in their eyes.

"Karina?" Steve called and she poked her head around the door, smiling at Peggy.

"S'up?" She said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

"Ah, so this is the woman who made Tony speechless," Peggy replied smiling broadly.

Karina grasped Peggy's outstretched hand and shook it gently. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Carter."

"Peggy, please, you make me sound older than I am."

Karina chuckled and sat down in a chair next to Steve. "Is it going to sound weird if I say I've read a lot about you?"

"Not at all, I've read a lot about you, too. You're certainly a force to be reckoned with." Peggy smiled. "Howard always said that we weren't alone. He'd have been so excited to meet you."

"I think Tony's more than made up for that," Karina replied, and Steve chuckled. "You're an amazing woman, Peggy."

"Oh, stop." Peggy blushed slightly, waving her compliment off.

"No," Steve told her, grabbing her hand, "you should be proud of yourself, Peggy."

He looked over at her bedside table, looking over the array of photos on display, including one of Steve pre-serum.

Peggy turned her head and looked at the pictures. "Mm, I have lived a life." She turned back to look at Steve. "My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours." Peggy looked at Steve and noticed his sad expression. "What is it?"

Steve sighed. "For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same."

Peggy chuckled. "You're always so dramatic."

"Good to know that hasn't changed," Karina muttered, leaning right as Steve went to smack her arm.

"Look," Peggy said, smiling as Karina poked her tongue out at Steve, "you saved the world. We rather… mucked it up."

Karina shook her head. "No, you didn't. You paved the way _for_ us to save the world."

"Exactly," Steve replied. "Knowing that you helped found S.H.I.E.L.D is half the reason I stay."

Peggy reached out and took Steve's hand, grasping it gently. "Hey. The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over."

Peggy started coughing, her frail body shaking from the force of it. Steve stood up and poured her some water, handing it to her. Karina felt helpless as she watched Peggy's face go blank, the happiness that'd been in her eyes, only seconds before disappearing.

"Peggy?" Steve asked quietly, a heartbroken expression on his face as he recognised the look in her eyes.

"Steve?" Peggy gasped, eyes welling up with tears.

"Yeah."

"You're alive!" Peggy cried, tears beginning to fall down her face. "You…you came, you came back."

"Yeah, Peggy," Steve replied softly, his hand taking hers.

"It's been so long." Peggy sobbed, holding onto Steve's hand tightly. "So long."

"Well I couldn't leave my best girl," Steve told her, trying not to cry. "Not when she owes me a dance."

 _Line break_

Karina quickly wiped the tears off her face, trying not to smudge her make – up as Steve emerged from Peggy's room, a nurse staying behind to check up on her.

"Hey," Steve said softly, noticing Karina wiping her face as he walked up to her. "You alright?"

Karina nodded. "Yeah. It's just … I know you warned me but seeing it in person. It's so hard. She completely forgot who you were in just a second and it broke my heart. How many times has that happened?"

Steve sighed, leaning against the wall. "A few times. As much as it pains me to say this, you get used to it. It still hurts every time, but after a while," he shrugged. "I'm just lucky she's still alive and that I've had a chance to see her again."

"I'm so sorry, Steve," Karina sniffed.

"Ria, hey," Steve stood up and hugged her tightly. Karina buried her face in his chest, hugging him back just as tightly. "It's okay."

 _Line break_

"Are we just doing a tour of all your friends?" Karina asked as Steve pulled into the parking lot of the community centre. "Like, one last hurrah before you die or something. You are old."

"Thanks, Ria. And, no. This is not some last 'hurrah'," Steve replied, driving into a space and switching the engine off. "I didn't get a chance to properly talk to Sam. Besides, this beats being stuck at S.H.I.E.L.D."

Karina hummed in reply as she got off the back of the motorbike. "That is true. And you bought me lunch, so, it's fine."

Steve chuckled. "You and food, Ria. Come on."

Karina put her arm through Steve's as they walked inside the VA, the hallways quiet for a midday morning. They walked down the long corridor towards where Sam was holding his Veteran Counselling session, the room doors open wide, welcoming anyone in.

"Is it easier to talk to other veterans about your experiences in the war than a therapist?" Karina asked as they approached the hall.

"Sometimes," Steve replied. "Talking to someone who knows how you feel and has seen similar things to you helps. But sometimes they struggle just as much as you and need to help themselves."

Karina nodded as they stopped outside the room, hovering outside the door, not wanting to interrupt the session.

"The thing is I think it's getting worse," a female veteran said quietly, wringing her hands. "A cop pulled me over last week, he thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED."

"Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase or in a little man – purse? It's up to you."

Karina smiled at Sam as their meeting ended and he walked over to them, smiling at Steve.

"Look who it is, the running man," he quipped, and Karina chuckled.

"Caught the last few minutes," Steve told him. "It's pretty intense."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret."

"You lose someone?" Steve asked, recognising the emotions on Sam's face.

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

Steve nodded sadly. "I'm sorry."

"After that, I had really hard really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?" Sam sighed. "I had no purpose."

Karina nodded. "But, are you happier now you're back in the world?"

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero." Karina and Steve chuckled. "So, hell, yeah. You two thinking about getting out?"

"No." Steve sighed heavily. "I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" It's just a great idea off the top of my head." Sam turned to Karina. "What about you?"

"My issue isn't not being able to leave the war behind. It's not being able to let go of my past self. I feel like I'm letting down my family. But anyway, I don't think I could do ultimate fighting. I think I'd get kicked out for cheating."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, that purple glow of yours might make it difficult. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

Steve shrugged, sighing heavily. "I don't know." He gave Sam a smile, but Karina could see he was hiding under it.

For the first time since Mexico, Karina began to worry if S.H.I.E.L.D was really the right place for her. She had no idea who she truly was without the magic and the goddess persona, because she certainly wasn't just Princess of Asgard.

Steve nudged her, his brow furrowed in concern, but Karina waved him off, linking arms with him again as they left the VA. He didn't need to know about the internal conflict she was having with herself.

This was for her, and for her alone, to figure out.

 _Line break_

It was night by the time Steve rolled up outside their apartment block. Karina jumped off the back of his bike and took her rucksack off her shoulder, pulling out her phone and apartment keys.

"So, Kate was a no, huh?" Karina asked as she walked up to the door and unlocked it.

Steve sighed heavily. "We're still on that, huh?"

Karina raised her arms as she walked over to the mailboxes, opening hers. "I'm just trying to help." She grabbed a few letters and locked the door again. "Thanks for today."

"I didn't do anything," Steve replied, frowning.

"Well, yes and no." They began walking up the stairs to their floor. "It's just made me stop and think for the first time in a while."

Steve nodded. "I get it. I don't think any of us have had a moment to think and breath since New York, I know I haven't."

Karina hummed in agreement. "For the first time since Greenwich, I'm beginning to wonder if this is what I really want. Or if I'm just distracting myself – Hey Kate." Karina waved at the woman as she hung up her phone, throwing it into her laundry basket.

"Sorry, my Aunt's kind of an insomniac," Kate said, hugging Karina as Steve smiled at her.

"Hey, if you want, you're welcome to use my machine," Steve told her, gesturing to his apartment down the end of the corridor. "Might be cheaper than the one in the basement."

"Oh yeah?" Kate asked, smiling. "What's it cost?"

"A cup of coffee?"

"Thank you, but um…I already have a load in downstairs, and, uh…you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I've just finished my orientation in the infectious diseases ward, so."

"Ah, well, I'll keep my distance," Steve chuckled, raising his hands and taking a step back.

"Well, hopefully not too far," Kate replied, smiling as she turned away. "Oh, Karina, I put a new loaf of lemon drizzle in your apartment."

"Oh, you're a star, Kate," Karina told her as she headed to her apartment.

"And I think you left your stereo on, Steve," Kate said as she walked down the stairs.

Karina looked over at Steve as she unlocked her door. "You didn't leave your stereo on, did you?" Steve shook his head and Karina sighed, opening her door and throwing her mail and keys onto her sideboard, pocketing her phone. She grabbed her second sword from where she'd put it against the wall and walked up to Steve.

"After you," Karina told him, nodding to his apartment door.

Steve rolled his eyes, but quietly walked up to his apartment door, slipping his key into the lock and carefully opening it. The music from his stereo quietly played as he picked up his shield from where he'd kept it by the door walked in, putting it on his arm as he went around the corner. Karina kept behind him, sword up as they stopped in the middle of his living room. Fury was sat on Steve's couch, the light from the street light outside showing his silhouette.

"I don't remember giving you a key," Steve told him as he relaxed slightly. Karina lowered her sword, watching Fury carefully as he winced, shifting in his seat.

"You really think I'd need one?" Fury asked. "My wife kicked me out."

"Didn't know you were married," Steve replied, quickly catching on to the fact that something was definitely very wrong.

"A lot of things you don't know about me," Fury replied, leaning forward.

"I know, Nick," Steve replied, walking over to the light switch. "That's the problem." Steve flicked the light on and stared at Fury in shock. His face was covered in cuts and bruises and both of them could see he was favouring his right side.

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but Fury put a finger to his lips as he reached up to the lamp next to the couch and switched it off. He pulled out his phone and quickly typed into it, turning it around to show it to them.

 **S.H.I.E.L.D compromised**

Karina felt her heart plummet as she read those two words. "Does anyone else know?" she asked quietly.

Fury typed into his phone again, standing up as he spoke. "Just … my friends." He turned his phone around again: **Just us three**.

"Is that what we are?" Steve asked, moving to closer to Fury.

"That's up to you," Fury replied, taking a step forward. Suddenly, three gunshots cracked through the night, all three hitting their target. Fury collapsed onto the floor as Karina ducked behind the wall, raising her sword. Steve quickly dragged Fury out of the living room and into the corridor, crouching down next to him.

Fury's hand stretched out, the USB Karina and Nat had put the S.H.I.E.L.D information onto in his hand. Slowly, Steve took it, staring at it. "Don't … trust anyone," Fury croaked as he passed out.

Karina looked over her shoulder at the sound of someone trying to break in to Steve's apartment.

"Captain Rogers? Karina?" Kate called as she walked in, gun pointed at the window.

"Kate?" Steve asked as she scanned the room.

"I'm assigned to protect you," Kate explained, putting her gun away in the back of her jeans.

"On whose orders?"

Kate froze, noticing Fury lying on the ground. "His." She quickly knelt down next to him, pulling out a radio from her pocket as she checked for a pulse. "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs."

 _"Do you have a twenty on the shooter?"_

Steve looked up, noticing the shooter through the window. "Tell him I'm in pursuit." Steve stood up and smashed through his window, chasing after the assassin.

"What can I do?" Karina asked, throwing her sword to the side, trusting Steve was in control.

Kate looked at her. "Put pressure here," she told her, guiding her hands to one of Fury's bullet wounds. "ETA?"

 _"Five minutes."_

 _Line break_

Karina stood by the viewing window of the operating room, trying not to crack her knuckles, foot tapping on the floor. Steve stood on her right, his eyes never leaving Fury as the doctors rushed about him. The door behind them flew open and Natasha ran in, coming to a sudden halt next to Karina.

"Is he gonna make it?" She asked quietly, briefly glancing over at Karina and Steve.

"I don't know," Steve replied solemnly.

"Tell me about the shooter."

"He's fast and strong," Steve began, looking over at Natasha. "Had a metal arm." A flicker of recognition appeared in Natasha's eyes, but it disappeared as Maria Hill walked into the room, standing next to Steve.

"Ballistics?" Natasha asked, trying to mask her concern. But they all knew her better than that.

"Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable," Maria replied.

"Soviet – made," Natasha replied. It wasn't a question.

Maria looked at Natasha in surprise. "Yeah."

There was a sudden, single beep from the operating room and the doctors and nurses began rushing about as Fury began to deteriorate before their eyes.

"He's in V – tech," someone in the room yelled.

"Crash cart coming in."

"Nurse, help me with the drape."

"BP is dropping."

"Defibrillator! I want you to charge him at one hundred."

"Don't do this to me, Nick," Natasha muttered quietly, fear in her eyes. Karina looked at her friend in concern as she nervously bit her thumbnail, her hands shaking ever so slightly.

"Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear! Pulse?"

"No pulse."

"Okay. 200, please. Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear! Give me epinephrine! Pulse?"

"Negative."

"Don't do this to me, Nick. Don't do this to me." Natasha kept repeating those words over and over under her breath like a mantra and Karina desperately wanted to reach out and hold her hand but knew she wouldn't want her to.

"What's the time?"

"1:03, Doctor."

Karina felt her heart drop as the doctor uttered the words she never wanted to hear.

"Time of death, 1:03 am."

And suddenly the world felt a lot more dangerous than it did before.

 _Line break_

They'd laid Fury's lifeless body out in a spare room, a white sheet covering everything except his head. Karina was standing in the corner of the room, watching quietly. She suddenly felt very cold and had pulled the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands, burying herself in it in search of some form of comfort.

Steve was standing behind Natasha, watching over her as she bade Fury farewell. He had no emotion on his face, yet his eyes told Karina everything she needed to know. Pain, horror, shock and the _what if?_

Natasha was openly crying, tears running down her face. Karina felt honoured that Natasha trusted her, and Steve, enough to show her emotions in front of them, but she was also worried about what Natasha was going to do next. There was a quiet fury behind her grief, one that Karina recognised all too well.

"I need to take him," Maria said quietly, stepping forward.

Natasha didn't reply, not looking away from Fury's body.

Steve walked forward and stood next to her. "Natasha." Again, Natasha didn't response. She just tenderly touched Fury's head, her hand hovering, scared he'd break underneath her touch. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and walked out the room, the door banging against the wall.

"Nat?" Karina asked, pushing herself off the wall and following after her friend, Steve behind her.

"Why was Fury in your apartment?" She asked, turning to face them, her question directed at Steve.

"I don't know," Steve replied honestly as Rumlow walked up behind them.

"Cap, Odinsdottir, they want you back at S.H.I.E.L.D," he told them, gesturing to the group of agents hovering around the corridor entrance.

"Yeah, give us a second," Steve told him, waving him off.

"They want you now," Rumlow insisted and Karina probably would've punched the agent if Steve hadn't grabbed her hand.

"Okay," Steve replied coldly, giving Rumlow a look. He turned back to Natasha who was openly judging them both.

"You're a terrible liar, Steve," Natasha told him, shaking her head as she walked off.

"Well," Karina sighed, crossing her arms, "that went well."

 _"STRIKE team, escort Captain Rogers and Agent Odinsdottir back to S.H.I.E.L.D immediately for questioning."_

Karina turned and glared at Rumlow, the agent quickly putting his hands up in surrender at the intensity of her glare. "I did tell them."

"Evidently," Karina muttered, slowly walking forward. She stopped when she noticed Steve wasn't following. "Steve?"

"Yeah, hang on," he replied, walking up to the vending machine sitting against the wall. "I need a drink."

Karina raised her eyebrows at him as he entered the code into the machine, but shrugged, turning away and following after Rumlow, Steve catching up to her a minute later. She'd completely forgotten about the flash drive Fury had given them.

 _Line break_

The halls were strangely quiet as they walked to Pierce's office. Both of them had changed back into their respective uniforms, Karina putting her hood up as soon as she entered the elevator. She'd strapped her sword to her back, the familiar weight of Valkyrie giving her some comfort.

"I should've stayed at home," Karina muttered quietly as they walked. "Then I wouldn't be in this mess."

"It still happened in the apartment block where you live, Ria," Steve reminded her. "This would've happened either way."

Karina just hummed in response, avoiding the stares everyone else around them was giving them as they passed. She kept her hands buried in her pockets, trying to hide the purple hue around them. It'd been present ever since she'd left the hospital at ridiculous o'clock in the morning and hadn't faded since. She'd put her fingerless gloves on her hands in the hope of trying to dampen it, but it'd failed. Steve had noticed as soon as they got in the elevator, frowning in concern but saying nothing.

As they neared Pierce's office, Karina perked up a little at the sight of Kate, whose name was actually Sharon so she should _probably_ start calling her that, walking towards them.

"Captain Rogers, Karina," Sharon said as she passed, nodding at them both.

"Neighbour," Steve replied coldly, not sparing her a glance.

Karina rolled her eyes and gave Sharon a small smile as she passed. "Hey."

"Ah, Captain, Agent," Pierce said as they approached, "I'm Alexander Pierce." 

"Sir, it's an honour," Steve replied, shaking his hand. Karina made no move to shake Pierce's hand, instead smiling pleasantly at him. Her smile faltered slightly when she saw Pierce's pleasant facade crack, a dark look coming over his eyes, one that disappeared almost as soon as it appeared.

"The honour is mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st." Pierce opened his office door, holding it open for Steve. "Come on in." Steve held the door open for Karina as they stepped inside, Pierce already situated behind his desk. He picked up an old photo, pushing it across the desk to Steve. "That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met. When I was at State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was deputy chief for the S.H.I.E.L.D station there. And he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said, 'No, we'll negotiate".

"Turned out the ELN didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what did they find? They find it empty. Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter."

"So, you gave him a promotion," Steve finished, handing the photo back over.

"I've never had any cause to regret it." Pierce sighed. "Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?"

"I don't know," Steve replied honestly.

"You know it was bugged?"

"I did, because Nick told me."

"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" Steve didn't reply, staring at the floor in slight shock at the new information. "You're being awfully quiet, Miss Odinsdottir."

Karina looked up, slightly startled by Pierce's direct comment at her. She had thought he'd been ignoring her. Pierce had never liked her, despite the two never actually meeting. Clint had told her about his meeting with Pierce after a mission they went on together and how he wouldn't stop asking questions about her, talking about her magic and her limits.

Karina cleared her throat and looked Pierce in the eye. "I think I'm still in shock, sir," she replied.

"Aren't we all," Pierce replied, his eyes looking down at Karina's hands for just a moment. "I want you both to see something."

He swiped a tablet on his desk and security footage of one of the holding cells appeared. Handcuffed to a table was Batroc, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent standing in front of him. Having been captured, Batroc looked incredibly calm, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed as he stared at the agent in front of him.

 _"Who hired you, Batroc?_ " The agent asked, leaning forward to look at Batroc for any tell.

"Is this live?" Steve asked, stepping closer to the screen.

"Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not – so – safe house in Algiers," Pierce replied.

"Are you saying he's a suspect?" Steve frowned, looking back at the video of Batroc. Assassination isn't Batroc's line."

"No," Pierce shook his head, "it's more complicated than that. Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star and he was contacted by e-mail and paid by wire transfer. And then the money was run through seventeen fictitious accounts, the last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech."

"I have absolutely no idea who that is," Karina said bluntly, crossing her arms but still keeping her hands hidden.

"Neither do I," Steve replied as Pierce handed Steve a file.

"I'm not surprised," Pierce said as Steve flicked through the file. "Veech died six years ago. His last address was 14 -35 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick his mother lived at that address."

"Are you saying Fury hired the pirates?" Steve asked, handing the filed back. "Why?"

"And even if that's true," Karina added, "that's a bit of a long stretch in terms of evidence and connection."

Pierce sighed. "The prevailing theory, the most plausible one we've got, is that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death."

"If you really knew Nick Fury, you'd know that's not true," Steve replied coldly.

"Why do you think we're talking?" Pierce asked, sitting down in his chair and leaning back with a heavy sigh. "See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to, because we were both realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies.

"Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today, makes me really, really angry." Pierce paused. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it with a sigh. "Captain, Odinsdottir, you were the last people to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident and I don't think you do either. So, I'm going to ask again, why was he there?"

"He told me not to trust anyone," Steve replied quietly.

Pierce turned his eyes on Karina.

Karina shrugged. "If Nick Fury told me not to trust anyone, then I'm quite likely to follow that advice." She glanced down at her hands and quickly hid them again as the purple glow around them pulsed with her heart beat.

"I wonder if that included him," Pierce muttered quietly, his eyes on Karina's hands as she buried them in her pockets.

"I'm sorry," Steve said suddenly, noticing Karina's nervousness as Pierce watched her. "Those were his last words. Excuse us." Steve grabbed Karina's arm and steered her out the room, his grip keeping her grounded as her magic thrummed.

"Captain, Odinsdottir," Fury called as they approached the door. "Somebody murder my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it. _Anyone._ "

Steve nodded. "Understood."

 _Line break_

As soon as they stepped in the elevator, Karina pulled her hands out of her pockets, cracking her knuckles and flexing her fingers. As she turned her hands around, a purple glow followed them, wafting about like smoke.

"What is going on with your powers?" Steve asked, taking her hand and looking at it.

"I don't know," Karina replied honestly, watching the purple glow almost pulsate. "I mean, it's done this before when I've been angry or upset or in shock, but this time it's different. It feels like it's," she paused, searching for the right word, "it's like a snake. It's writhing under my skin and I just want to claw it out – I'm not going to," she added quickly.

Steve gently turned her hand over. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Karina said, watching her hands as her magic swirled around them. "My heads a bit all over the place but I think that's expected."

"Any visions recently?"

Karina shook her head. "Only at night, now. They're like dreams. Really useless dreams. They don't tell me anything important, just stuff like you will eat ice cream or you will punch yourself in the face."

"You punched yourself in the face?"

"There was a bug – not important." Karina chuckled, shaking her head. "My magic has occasionally been known to…exploded? Like if make popcorn and it explodes if you put too much in the pan?" Steve nodded. "It's like that. But whenever that's happened before its felt completely different, so I don't think it's that." Karina sighed. "Look, it's not important now, we can figure this out later, okay?"

Steve nodded; his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "If you're sure?"

"Yeah, bigger things to worry about," Karina confirmed, crossing her arms again and hiding her hands.

"Alright." He pressed a button on the elevator panel. "Operations control."

 _"Confirmed."_

Just as the doors were about to close, Rumlow put his hand in between them, the automatic doors opening again to let him and two STRIKE agents into the elevator.

"Keep all STRIKE personnel on site," he told the two agents as he stood in front of Steve and Karina. "Cap, Odinsdottir."

"Rumlow," Steve and Karina said together as the doors shut.

"Evidence Response found some fibres on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac – team ready?"

"No, let's wait and see what it is first," Steve replied, resting his hands on his belt

"Right," Rumlow nodded.

Karina glanced over at one of the STRIKE agents, frowning as they rocked back on their heels slightly, their left-hand hovering over a hand gun strapped to their leg. She looked over at the second agent. They too had their hand hovering over their gun but looked decidedly less nervous than the first.

Confusion and panic beginning to seep in, Karina looked at Rumlow closely as the elevator binged, reaching the next floor. He didn't look at all nervous, arms casually crossed across his chest, but he did have a lot more weapons on him than usual, including a large silver stick sticking out the back of his waistband.

The elevator doors opened again, and more agents piled in, a mixture of STRIKE and regular S.H.I.E.L.D agents. Karina frowned as she examined the agents around them, all of them armed more than usual. She moved forward to stand next to Steve, both of them sharing a glance that confirmed what the other was feeling.

Something was wrong.

"I'm sorry about what happened to with Fury. Messed up, what happened to him," Rumlow said suddenly.

"Thank you," Steve replied. He looked down at Karina and saw her hands glowing a more vibrant purple than before. Gently, Steve nudged her, and Karina quickly buried her hands in her pockets again as the elevator stopped yet again and more agents piled in. Karina looked around, noticing how nearly all of the agents had their hands hovering over their guns and some of them were sweating slightly.

The elevator was filled with agents.

They were surrounded.

"Before we get started," Steve said suddenly, attracting the attention of everyone in the lift. "Does anyone want to get out?"

There was a moment where no one moved.

And then one of the agents turned around, a silver rod in his hands and electrocuted Steve in the stomach. Karina lunged forward but found two agents holding her back, stabbing her with the electric rod too. Steve looked over at Karina as she cried out, doubling over in pain. As he looked, three agents shoved him against the wall while a third grabbed a magnetic handcuff from his suitcase, attaching it to Steve's wrist, trying to force his hand onto the metal wall behind.

Steve pulled against the magnetic pull, yelling as he freed himself, kicking an agent in the knee and punching another in the face with his elbow. He headbutted the agent holding him from behind as Rumlow kicked Steve's right hand – the one still with the cuff on it – his hand flying to the wall behind it.

Karina had just got her breath back from being electrocuted when a high – pitched ringing rang out. She fell to her knees, trying to block her ears from the sound. Karina let out a scream as her ears began to ring, the sound beginning to hurt her brain as it continued on.

By now there were only three agents left, the rest laying crumpled on the elevator floor. Steve glanced over at Karina in concern as she cried out, burying her head in her hands. The momentary glance away allowed Rumlow to ram the electric rod into Steve's back. The super soldier groaned, somehow punching Rumlow in the face and quickly dodging the second rod, pushing the agent holding it forward so that it electrocuted another agent.

Having dealt with the three remaining agents for a moment, Steve jumped onto the wall where his hand was stuck and began trying to pull it off, yelling as he finally managed to free himself. He backflipped off the wall, landing as two agents behind him stood up. Steve quickly punched each of them in the face, turning around and knocking one out with his briefcase, throwing the other into the wall.

"Who, big guy," Rumlow panted, standing up and holding his hands out in surrender as Steve glared at him. "I just want you to know, Cap, this ain't personal!" Rumlow launched himself at Steve with his two electric rods. Steve managed to block one, but the second landed a hit on his stomach. Rumlow smirked as Steve groaned in pain, but his face fell as Steve gained the upper hand, grabbing a hold of Rumlow and throwing him into the ceiling.

Steve panted, staring down at Rumlow as he fell on top of the other agents littering the floor. "It kinda feels personal." He glanced over at Karina, who still had her head buried in her hands, lying on the floor, and rushed over.

"What's wrong?" He asked, gently looking her over.

Karina shook her head, whimpering. Steve looked around him frantically, trying to see if he could spot the cause of Karina's pain. Lying on the floor was a tiny device that looked like a radio, a red light flashing away at the top. He picked it up, turning the dial all the way around to 'off' and Karina instantly sighed in relief, slumping onto the floor and breathing heavily as she slowly released her head.

"What the _hell_ is that?" She panted, staring at the device in Steve's hand.

"I've no idea," Steve replied as he helped Karina up.

"You couldn't hear it?" She asked, holding onto him tightly as her ears kept ringing.

Steve shook his head. "No, I heard nothing."

"Can we get out of here?" Karina asked, letting go of Steve's arm as he pushed open the elevator doors. A team of STRIKE agents ran towards them, guns pointed at them. "I guess that's a no, then," Karina muttered as Steve quickly shut the doors.

"If we jump out that window," he began, picking his shield up off the floor, "can you make a forcefield to slow our landing?"

Karina nodded. "Yeah." She held out her hands, summoning her magic to them. But nothing happened. "What the hell?" She shook her hands and threw them out, waiting for a burst of fire to shatter the windows. Nothing.

"Ria, now is really not the time to play a trick on me," Steve muttered, watching her in concern as her eyes grew wide in panic.

"I'm not," Karina replied as the STRIKE agents outside the elevator banged on the door. "Whatever that thing was, it's killed my magic."

They both looked to the doors as the STRIKE team banged on them again and Steve sighed. "You can survive that jump, right?"

Karina nodded. "I've probably survived worse at some point in my lifetime."

"Do you trust me?" Steve asked, grabbing her arm and turning her to face him.

"I think you're the only person I trust right now," Karina replied honestly, fear in her eyes. Steve gave her a quick sympathetic smile.

"Ok, then, on three we jump out that window."

Karina walked to the back of the elevator, trying to ignore the panic rising inside her. Steve glanced over at her and she gave him a small nod, confirming that she was ready.

"Give it up Rogers, Odinsdottir. You've got nowhere to go!"

The two of them charged at the window, Steve smashing it with his shield. For a moment, Karina felt her heart fly up to her mouth as she free fell through the sky.

As the roof of the main S.H.I.E.L.D reception grew closer, she moved her body into the foetal position, trying to minimise the damage her fall did. Karina smashed through the roof and braced herself as the floor rushed up to meet her.

Steve's shield clanged as he landed on top of it, Karina landing just next to him. S.H.I.E.L.D employees stared at them in shock as both of them groaned, Karina winded from her fall and the rather impressive landing she did.

Slowly, Steve pushed himself onto his feet, helping Karina up by grabbing her arm and pulling her too her feet. The two then ran out of the reception, well aware of the cameras surrounding them.

"Can you ride a motorbike?" Steve asked as they ran to the garage.

"From what I remember of you and Tash teaching me, yes," Karina replied.

Steve threw her the keys to the motorbike as he grabbed the keys to his. Karina quickly mounted it, turning the engine on and turning the bike around as the door to the garage began to close. Somehow, they both made it through the door before it shut, emerging onto the highway that linked the Triskelion with the rest of Washington.

Suddenly, a quinjet flew past them, hovering above the highway as the two fugitives rode towards them.

"Stand down, I repeat, stand down."

They didn't.

"You go under it!" Steve yelled as the quinjet aimed it's rifle gun at them. "I'll stop it firing at us!"

Karina nodded her agreement to the plan and turned the accelerator, ducking under the quinjet as it concentrated its fire on Steve, deeming him the bigger threat. The wing of the quinjet swung low over Karina and she was forced to flip her motorbike onto the side, skimming the road as she ducked to avoid it. She rolled off the wrecked motorbike, using her momentum to leap over the spikes and guard rails that were blocking the off the rest of the highway and crashed down on the other side of the entrance booth.

Steve landed next to her a moment later, his shield cracking the concrete as the quinjet crashed into the Potomac behind them. He stood up, a smirk on his face.

"Show off," Karina muttered, standing up, a hand going to her sword to make sure it was still on her back.

"Come on." Steve grabbed her hand as the sound of sirens grew closer, S.H.I.E.L.D determined to hunt down the two fugitives that were Captain America and the Goddess of Fire

* * *

 **A/N: I am gay for Hayley Atwell, I love that woman with all my heart.**

 **I really wanted to show how vunerable Karina is without her magic, hence that device thingy, and how terrified she is. Her and Thor are very different people and whilst Thor can cope without his hammer, Karina relies heavily on her magic.**

 **(Yes, I called her sword Valkyrie)**

 **Karina: [holding out a bracelet] I made you this friendship bracelet**

 **Thor: I'm not really a jewlery kind of person**

 **Karina: Oh, you don't have to wear it**

 **Thor: [snatches the bracelet back] No, I'm gonna wear it forever, back off**


	18. Chapter 18

They'd abandoned their suits in a back alley near the hospital where Fury had died, changing into random clothes Steve had gotten for them from a nearby store. Karina still had no magic after the elevator fight, her body still messed up from whatever Rumlow had used to knock her out of commission. She felt like she had the worst hangover in the world and gladly excepted the sunglasses Steve gave her. Not that she'd ever been hungover before…

"Why are we back here?" Karina whispered as they walked through the halls of the hospital, pocketing the glasses. She'd put the hood of her grey hoodie up before they'd entered, not wanting to be recognised now she was technically on the run.

"I hid the flash drive Fury gave me in a vending machine here before Rumlow grabbed us," Steve replied, quickly looking over his shoulder as they walked up to the vending machine. He looked into it, his face falling when he saw the gum rack, he'd hit in was empty. "And it's not here."

Karina cleared her throat loudly as Natasha appeared behind them, putting an arm around Karina's shoulders as she popped the gum she was chewing. Steve growled quietly, grabbing Natasha's arm and shoving her into an empty side room, the door banging shut behind them.

"Where is it?" Steve growled, shoving Natasha against the wall.

"Safe."

"Do better!"

"Where did you get it?" Natasha asked, frowning at them both.

"Why would I tell you?" Steve demanded, glaring at the spy.

"Fury gave it to you." It wasn't a question. She'd figured it out, Karina confirming it with a small nod behind Steve's back. Why?"

"What's on it?"

"I don't know."

"Stop lying!" Steve yelled, slamming the wall behind her.

"I only act like I know everything Rogers," Natasha told him, pushing him off her.

"I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?"

"Well, it makes sense," Natasha said, shrugging. "The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you."

"I'm not gonna ask you again," Steve threatened.

"I know who killed Fury," Natasha said suddenly, seeing that Steve was not in the mood. Steve took a startled step back, frowning. "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassins in the last fifty years."

"So, he's a ghost story."

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight through me." Natasha pulled up her shirt, revealing a scar on the left side of her stomach. "Soviet slug, no rifling. Bye – bye bikinis."

"Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now," Steve quipped back, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried." She pulled out the flash drive from her pocket. "Like you said, he's a ghost story."

Steve took the flash drive from her, flipping it over. "Well, let's find out what the ghost wants."

 _Line break_

"The first rule of going on the run is, don't run, walk," Natasha said as they walked through the mall.

"If I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off," Steve muttered as they walked into the Apple Store.

"You chose them," Karina reminded him as they walked over to the MacBook's. The store was pretty quiet for lunchtime on a Wednesday and there weren't many employees wondering about, which meant less questions and less suspicion.

"The drive has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up S.H.I.E.L.D will know exactly where we are," Natasha explained as the MacBook whirred into life.

"How much time do we have?" Steve asked, glancing around to make sure no one was looking at them.

"Uh … about nine minutes from," Natasha put the flash drive into the MacBook and all the files loaded at once, displaying plans of the Lemurian Star and several maps, "now." Natasha quickly began typing commands into the MacBook, trying to override the protocols protecting the drive whilst also trying to figure out where the file came from. "Fury was right about that ship, somebody's trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps re – writing itself to counter my commands."

"Can you override it?" Steve asked, looking over Natasha's shoulder.

"The person who developed this is _slightly_ smarter than me." She looked at Karina who was smirking at her. "I said slightly, Ria."

"Want me to have a go?" Karina asked, leaning against the desk with her arms crossed.

"No, I can manage," Natasha replied, resisting the urge to flip her friend off. "I'm gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that S.H.I.E.L.D developed to track hostile malware, so if we can't read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from."

"Can I help you guys with anything?"

Karina and Steve both jumped slightly as an Apple Employee walked up to them. Steve subtly moved in front of Natasha, blocking the view of the MacBook.

"Oh, no," Natasha said, turning around with a smile. "My fiancé was just helping me with some honeymoon destinations."

Karina saw Steve freeze and sighed internally. "Right," she said, linking her arm with Natasha's. "My brother's very into the wedding planning community and wanted to help."

"Yup," Steve said slowly, looking at the two women next to him oddly. "I love weddings."

"Congratulations," the employee said, smiling at Karina and Natasha. "Where you guys thinking about going?"

Steve looked over at the computer. "New Jersey."

"Family farm," Karina said quickly, lightly hitting Steve as Natasha turned back to the MacBook now that it'd found where the signal had come from. "Next to a lovely lake."

"Oh." The employee looked at Steve closely and for a moment Karina thought he'd recognised him. "I have the exact same glasses."

"Wow, you two are practically twins," Natasha drawled as she tried to get the signal to narrow down.

"Yeah, I wish," the employee sighed. "Uh, if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron."

"Thank you," Steve called as Aaron walked away. "You said nine minutes, come on."

"Shh, relax," Natasha crooned, smirking at Steve's annoyed expression. "Got it." She looked at Steve and paused. "You know it?" She asked, recognising the haunted look in his eyes.

"I used to," he replied quietly. "Let's go." Steve pulled the drive out of the computer and the three of them walked out the store. "Standard tac – team," Steve listed as they walked through the mall, noticing the agents around them. "Two behind, two across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you two hit the south escalator to the metro."

"Shut up and put your arm around me, laugh at something I said," Natasha said quickly, grabbing Karina's hand.

"What?"

"Do it!"

Steve quickly put his arm around Natasha and laughed as they passed the two agents, neither one of them recognising any of them. Steve looked back at them as they entered the Apple store, looking around.

"Escalator," Karina said quietly, still holding Natasha's hand. "There's a car shop outside the second floor."

The three of them stepped onto the escalator, Steve at the back, Natasha in the middle, Karina at the front. As they went down, Natasha's eyes widened as she saw Rumlow heading towards them on the escalator opposite them.

She turned to Steve. "Kiss me."

Steve stared at her. "What?"

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable," Natasha replied quickly, glancing over at Rumlow as he got nearer.

"Yes, they do," Steve said frowning.

"Oh, for god's sake." Karina pulled Natasha down onto her level and kissed her as Rumlow passed. Out the corner of her eye, Karina saw Rumlow look away as he passed them, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"You still uncomfortable, Rogers?" Karina asked as she started walking down the escalator. "You're bloody useless on the run, you know?"

 _Line break_

Steve had managed to hotwire them a car from the car shop outside the mall, quickly driving off towards New Jersey before Rumlow found them again. Karina had sat in the back, feet up on the seat next to her, Steve's jacket rolled up under her head as a pillow and Natasha was sat in the front, feet on the dash.

"Magic back yet?" Steve asked as they left Washington.

"Wait, what happened to your magic?" Natasha asked, turning in her seat to look at Karina.

"In the elevator Rumlow had this device thingy that emitted a noise too high for anyone else to hear, affecting only me, and it killed my magic," Karina replied. "It's sort of back, but not completely. My brain's still all over the place."

"You can have a nap if you want, we've got at least four hours until we get to New Jersey," Steve replied, looking at her in the rear-view mirror.

Karina hummed in response snuggling down into her hoodie as Natasha quietly put the radio on in the background.

"So," Natasha said quietly, not wanting to disturb Karina, "why did you freeze back there?"

"I didn't freeze."

"I said kiss me and you looked like a dear in headlights, Steve."

Steve sighed. "It's been a while since I kissed someone."

"The last time being 1945?"

"No," Steve replied, glaring at Natasha. "The last time being three months ago when I went on a date."

"You went on a date?"

Steve shushed Natasha, briefly looking over at Karina to make sure she hadn't woken up. "It was Lydia from analytics. Who, by the way, is very nice so I don't need you scaring the crap out of her."

"What happened?" Natasha asked, genuinely curious now.

Steve shrugged. "Nothing. We went out to dinner, had a nice time, I kissed her, she kissed me back, I walked her back to her apartment and that was it. We both decided that we were just friends."

"Huh."

Steve looked at her as they rolled up to a traffic jam caused by roadworks. "That's all you have to say?"

"Well," Natasha said slowly. "Karina spotted you coming back late one night, and we deducted, through completely legal methods, that you'd been on a date."

"So, you spied on me?"

"No, no, more, concerned observation. Why just friends?"

"Believe it or not, it's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience," Steve replied softly.

"Well, that's alright, you just make something up," Natasha told him, tilting her chair back.

"What, like you?"

"I don't know." Natasha shrugged. "The truth is a matter of circumstances, it's not all things to all people all the time. And neither am I."

"That's a tough way to live."

"It's a good way not to die, though."

"You know," Steve said as they finally cleared the traffic, "it's kind of hard to trust some when you don't who that someone really is."

"Yeah." Natasha looked at him. "Who do you want me to be?"

"How about a friend?"

"Well, there's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers."

They didn't speak for a couple of hours, Steve concentrating on the road ahead. There was a thud as Karina's phone fell out her pocket and Natasha looked back at her, the goddess buried in her jumper.

"Is she alright?"

Steve looked back at briefly. "I honestly don't know. She's really messed up after Fury's death, S.H.I.E.L.D apparently being compromised, and her magic being switched off by whatever device Rumlow had." Natasha sighed heavily and Steve looked at her. "What?"

"That device," Natasha began slowly, "was designed as a kill switch if Ria's magic ever got out of control, kinda like Bruce on the Helicarrier two years ago. It was a worst-case scenario, but it looks like S.H.I.E.L.D are playing dirty."

"Hang on, you knew about this?"

Natasha nodded. "That's why I insisted she learn how to fight _without_ her magic. In case she was ever knocked out with that thing and she was on her own. It was Fury's idea to make the device."

"She's gonna be pissed when she finds out," Steve told her, trying not to show how angry he was.

"When who finds out what?" Karina asked, sitting up with a yawn.

"Sharon," Natasha answered smoothly. "They've cornered off your floor in the apartment block and aren't letting anyone in to get their stuff."

"Oh," Karina replied, stretching her arms. "We nearly there?"

"Two hours out," Steve replied, checking the sat nav quickly.

"We were right about his date, by the way," Natasha told Karina as she swung her legs off the seat next to her.

"Oh, yeah? Who was it?"

"Lydia."

"That little liar," Karina cursed. "What happened? First kiss since 1945?"

"No, it wasn't," Steve grumbled, glaring at Karina as she laughed. "I'm ninety – five, I'm not dead." He turned to Natasha. "Take your feet of the dash, we're borrowing this car, I don't want any footprints about."

Natasha reluctantly took her feet of the dashboard, giving it a wipe clean with the sleeve of her jacket.

"That was my first kiss," Karina said suddenly.

"It was?" Natasha asked, turning around to look at her.

"Why, did it not feel like that?" Karina asked, smirking.

"Oh, shut up."

"I would've thought a Princess would've been asked out plenty of times," Steve said as they left the highway.

"Not this princess," Karina replied softly, looking out the window.

Steve and Natasha kept quiet, releasing it was a sensitive subject and started talking about anything but Karina's love life. The rest of the drive blurred into one, Karina not remembering much as Steve pulled into the abandoned military base where the signal had come from.

"This is it," Steve said as he pulled the handbrake on and turned the ignition off.

"The file came from these coordinates," Natasha replied, checking her phone to make sure as she got out the car.

Karina silently handed Steve his jacket as she shut the car door, following Natasha to the gates of the base. Steve retrieved his shield from the boot of the car and joined them at the gate.

"Locked?" He asked, noticing the padlock.

"Ahuh, you wanna have go?" Natasha asked, pocketing her phone.

"Wait!" Karina exclaimed as Steve raised his shield up. "Can I try?" Steve nodded, stepping back slightly so that Karina had more room. Taking a deep breath in, Karina waved her hand over the lock, laughing with happiness when the lock fell off the gate, a subtle purple smoke coming off it as it landed on the ground.

"And she's back." Natasha smiled, shaking her head fondly as she pushed open the gate.

As the sun began to set, they still hadn't found the source of the file. They'd walked nearly all the way around the base, looking in the majority of the buildings, and there was no sign of any technology advanced enough to have sent the file.

Karina had happily busted into a few of the buildings, taking full advantage of having her magic back. Natasha watched her closely, a feeling of guilt settling in her stomach. She would consider Karina a friend after everything they went through in Morocco and Mexico and felt bad for lying to her.

But it had been, and still was, necessary.

"This camp is where I was trained," Steve said quietly as they walked towards the middle of the camp, the lights switching on as the sun disappeared completely.

"Changed much?" Natasha asked, looking around at the old buildings.

"A little," Steve replied fondly as he stared at an old flag pole.

"This is a dead end," Natasha said as she looked at her phone. "Zero heat signatures, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off."

Steve stopped suddenly, staring at one building in particular, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Karina asked, looking between the building and him.

"Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred years of the barracks," he explained as he walked towards the building. "This building is in the wrong place." He quickly smashed the lock with his shield, the door creaking loudly as it opened.

The building was pitch black as the door shut behind them. Karina found the fuse box and switched the lights on, the lights clicking as they lit up for the first time in years.

"This is S.H.I.E.L.D," Natasha said quietly as the logo on the wall directly opposite them was lit up.

"Maybe where it started," Steve replied, walking through the room. Karina weaved her way through the desks, taking a right and walking through the archway into another room.

"Is that Tony's dad?" Karina asked, noticing the pictures on the wall.

Steve nodded. "Yeah." He walked over to Karina, standing next to her as he stared at Peggy's photo.

"Who's the girl?" Natasha asked, knowing full well who it was. She looked at Steve carefully, noticing his jaw clenching as he looked away. He walked further down the room, slowing down in front of an old book shelf covered in dust.

"If you're already working in a secret office," he began, pushing the book shelf to the side. Behind it was an old elevator, the doors groaning as Steve pushed them open. "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"

Steve and Natasha stepped inside, Karina hesitantly following behind.

"It's not going to collapse, Ria," Natasha said, rolling her eyes.

"It might, it is as old as Steve."

"I heard that."

The elevator slowed down, eventually coming to a sudden stop. Steve pushed open the doors again, stepping out into another room. The lights flickered on revealing a room filled with ancient computers. As she stepped out, Karina looked left and right, seeing the room stretch on for quite a long way.

"This can't be the data – point," Natasha said, looking around. "This technology is _ancient."_

"Just like Steve," Karina quipped, dodging his swipe at her arm. Natasha let out a small _ah ha_ when she spotted a small flash drive port, pulling the drive from her pocket and inserting it into the drive. The computer in front of them whirred into life, the screen flickering slightly.

 _Initiate System?_

"Y – E – S, spells yes," Natasha said as she typed it in. The computer started whirring even louder, the monitor behind it working overtime. "Shall we play a game?" She turned to Steve. "it's from a movie that …"

"I know, I saw it," Steve replied and Natasha looked slightly impressed.

"Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918."

All three of them jumped slightly as an accented voice started talking at them. There was no one about, nor was there any sign of any recording device.

"Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984." Karina nudged Steve and pointed to an old camera whirring above the computer, analysing them. "Odinsdottir, Karina Selene. Born 1080 AD."

Karina noticed her two friends staring at her and shrugged. "I told you I was older than I looked."

"Your middle name is Selene?" Natasha asked, smirking at her.

"Oh, shut up," Karina scoffed.

Natasha raised her hands up in surrender, turning her attention back to the computer, quietly whirring away. "It must be some kind of recording."

"I am not a recording, Fraulein," the computer snapped suddenly, a face appearing in the screen above them.

"Ok, what the hell?" Karina asked quietly, looking around the room, seeing no sign of anyone.

"I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am."

The screen flickered and an old photo of Arnim Zola, a man Karina only recognised because of some old files Clint had made her read, appeared.

"Do you know this thing?" Natasha asked, looking between the screen and Steve.

"Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years," Steve replied, a haunted look in his eyes as she stared at the photo of Zola.

"First correction," the computer snapped, "I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain."

"Ew," Karina said quietly, looking around in disgust.

"How did you get here?" Steve demanded, quickly losing patience with Zola.

"Invited," Zola replied, and Karina could almost _hear_ his smirk.

"It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. S.H.I.E.L.D recruited German scientists with strategic value," Natasha explained.

"They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own."

"HYDRA died with the Red Skull," Steve said slowly, fear beginning to seep into his face.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

"Prove it."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Steve," Karina said quietly, stepping forward.

"Accessing archive," Zola said mechanically, the computer whirring as old footage appeared on the screen. "HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom." A video of the Red Skull commanding Nazi forces played, quickly cutting to footage from World War II.

"What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist." Footage of the Berlin Wall falling, the Cold War protests and riots from a few weeks ago appeared on the screen. "The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded," a picture of Peggy and Howard appeared, quickly cutting to a group photo of Operation Paperclip, "and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew.

"A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war," photos of the cold war, Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan appeared on the screen. "And when history did not cooperate, history was changed." Several photos appeared of JFK's assassination followed by several other photos of similar events.

"That's impossible, S.H.I.E.L.D would've stopped you," Natasha muttered, watching the screen in horror.

"Accidents happen." A photo of a newspaper clipping from when Howard and Maria Stark were killed appeared, evidently showing that it wasn't _just_ a car accident. It then cut to a photo of Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D file with the word _DECEASED_ stamped across it. "HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete," a video of Project Insight appeared and Karina felt her heart drop, "HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life; a zero sum."

There was a loud bang as Steve punched the screen, leaving a massive crack in the centre of it.

"As I was saying," Zola snapped, flickering into life on a different screen.

"What's on this drive?" Steve demanded, marching up to Zola.

"Project Insight requires insight. So, I wrote an algorithm."

"What kind of algorithm?" Natasha asked, stepping forward. "What does it do?"

"The answer to your question is fascinating," Zola began and the hair on the back of Karina's neck rose, goose bumps appearing on her arms as she felt the ground rumble slightly. "Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."

The elevator doors behind them began to close. Steve threw his shield at them, trying to wedge them open, but it bounced off just as it shut. He jumped into the air, grabbing it as it returned.

"Steve, we got a bogey," Natasha explained as her phone beeped frantically. "Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops."

"Who fired it?"

"S.H.I. ."

Steve looked at Natasha and Karina in horror as the building began to vibrate as the missile got closer. He frantically looked around them for somewhere, _anywhere_ , to hide and shield themselves.

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain," Zola droned. Steve stopped suddenly, noticing a small opening on the ground. "Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us, out of time."

Steve threw the metal grate aside, Natasha and Karina running over and jumping in as the missile hit the building, the entire structure shaking around them. Steve raised his shield above their heads, yelling as he tried to keep it up, protecting them from any of the rubble and fire around them.

Karina knew Steve wasn't going to last long. She summoned all of her magic and threw her own purple shield above them, taking the blows as the building collapsed around them. The roar of the rubble falling down was deafening and soon there was nothing but blackness and dust.

 _Line break_

Steve grunted as he pushed a large piece of rubble off the top of himself, letting it fall to the side as he stumbled out of the hole, they'd hid themselves in. Next to him, Natasha coughed, leaning heavily against the rocks behind her.

"You good?" Steve panted, looking her over briefly. Natasha nodded, wincing as she moved to sit up against the rock. Panic quickly rose as Steve looked around for Karina, not seeing her anywhere in the crater. He looked behind him and saw a hint of her hair, quickly lifting the rubble off the top of her and dragging her out.

Steve gently picked her up, resting her head on the crown of his shield, and walked over to Natasha who was still dazed from the explosion.

"Can you walk?" Steve asked as Natasha stood up, leaning on a giant piece of rubble behind her.

Natasha nodded slowly, pushing herself off the rubble and stumbling out of the hole they were in. Steve followed behind her, making sure Natasha didn't suddenly fall over and trying not to hurt Karina as he carried her.

From above them, there was a low droning noise, steadily getting closer and closer. Steve looked up and saw several drones and jets flying towards them and quickly broke out into a run, pushing Natasha ahead of him.

A few minutes later, Rumlow jumped down into the hole they'd just been in, a nearby fire lighting up the ground and illuminating a footprint in the dust on the ground.

"Bring in the asset," Rumlow said into his communicator, a dark look on his face. How they were still alive he had no idea. All three of them were like an annoying parasite that wouldn't go away and now that they knew the truth… Project Insight had to be completed before they got word out that HYDRA was inside S.H.I.E.L.D.

They'd already cost them Zola and their anonymity inside S.H.I.E.L.D. If the asset couldn't take them out, then their plans of over thirty years in the making would be ruined.

 _Line break_

Somehow, through the explosion and STRIKE marching in, the car they'd stolen was still in one piece. Steve set Karina down in the back seat, gently draping his jacket over the top of her as she shivered slightly. Natasha practically collapsed into the front seat, head hitting the headrest with a _thud_ as she sighed. The droning from the jets surrounding the exploded camp drowned out the car's engine as Steve started it up, speedily driving down the mud track and onto the road, the car headlights dimmed until they were safely away from Camp Lehigh.

Steve glanced over at Natasha as they drove back towards Washington, the assassin silent for once. She'd dozed off as they crossed over the border, waking up when Steve left the highway and they hit a pot hole. Natasha looked tired, not just because they'd been going all day or because they'd been caught in an explosion, but because she could add another name onto the list of people who'd lied to her.

S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Where are we going?" Natasha asked quietly as Steve turned down a farm track. They were three miles from Washington D.C, the sun only just starting to appear.

"The only safe place I know," Steve replied, pulling the car over on the grass bank and switching the engine off. "You up for a walk?"

Natasha nodded. She looked back at Karina who was still unconscious, shivering slightly despite Steve's jacket on top of her. "She's still not awake."

"I'll carry her," Steve replied as he got out the car. He opened the back door, grabbing his shield and handing it to Natasha. Then, he gently lifted Karina out of the car, making sure his jacket still covered her, shutting the door with his foot.

"Three miles to go," Natasha muttered as they started their walk down the path and towards Washington. She reached inside her pocket, gripping the flash drive tightly as they walked.

 _Line break_

Sam Wilson shook his shoulders as he returned home from his morning run, feeling refreshed and, for once, alright. He shut his door and walked into the kitchen, throwing his house keys onto the counter and opened the fridge door, grabbing a fresh bottle of orange juice. Luckily for him, he'd emptied his dishwasher last night so didn't have to worry about rescuing a glass from the machine and set the glass down on the counter, turning to open the bottle of orange juice.

When someone knocked on his back door.

Feeling slightly suspicious, but also used to random people knocking on his back door, he pulled the blind up, almost letting it drop back down in shock when he saw who'd knocked. Captain America, Black Widow and Karina Odinsdottir – who's superhero name was still up for debate; most had settled on calling her the Enchantress – were standing outside his door, all covered in dirt and looking utterly exhausted. Karina was leaning heavily on Steve who had his arm wrapped around her waist and appeared to be the only thing stopping her from falling over.

Sam slowly slid open the door, poking his head out, looking around briefly to make sure the threat wasn't about to bomb his house.

"Hey man," he said, nodding at Steve.

"I'm sorry about this," Steve apologised. "We need a place to lay low."

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us," Natasha added bluntly, and Karina rolled her eyes.

Sam paused, looking at the three of them. If he let them in, he'd become a suspect in whatever they were up to, which, according to the news, was becoming fugitives on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. But if he didn't let them in…

"Not everyone," Sam replied, opening the door wide and stepping back. "Spare bedroom on the left behind the kitchen if you want to get cleaned up. There's a Target down the road if you need clothes and I'm pretty sure my ex left some stuff in the bathroom." He pulled out his wallet and handed Natasha 50 dollars.

"Thanks Sam," Steve said gratefully, handing Karina over to Natasha as the two of them disappeared into the bedroom.

"Is she alright?" Sam asked as Karina grabbed onto the door frame, stumbling.

"She will be," Steve promised, following after them both.

Sam sighed, shaking his head.

Damn superhero's.

 _Line break_

Karina sat down on the toilet seat, scowling at Natasha. "What's wrong with my hair?"

Natasha sighed. "Nothing is wrong with your hair, Ari. But we're the most wanted people in Washington and you have a very distinct look."

"So, do you!" Karina exclaimed gesturing to Natasha's straightened red hair.

"Not the point," Natasha replied, pointing the scissors at her. "Unless you want me to cut _all_ your hair off, keep still and be quiet."

Karina huffed but closed her eyes, trusting Natasha. "How are you doing?"

"I thought I said be quiet?" Natasha replied, but Karina knew she was just joking. "Honestly, I don't know. I thought S.H.I.E.L.D were the good guys in the world. The one place where I could leave my past behind me and go straight. But now…now I feel like I've just switched the KGB for HYDRA. There is no good guy or bad guy, just bad. They all merge into one."

Karina resisted the urge to nod so hummed in agreement. "I thought by joining S.H.I.E.L.D I'd be helping make the world a better place. Turns out I've just been helping make it a bad one. I've made so many mistakes in my life, not speaking up for myself, simply sitting down and watching bad things happen to other people … it got to a point where I'd had enough."

"Loki?" Natasha asked softly, gently brushing Karina's hair.

"Yeah. He may have been the villain to begin with, but he was so lost and broken having been lied to all his life. I just decided that if I could stop anyone else feeling like that then I should. Just because I couldn't save my brother, or my mother, doesn't mean I can't save anyone else."

Natasha stepped back and smiled. "You're done."

"Do I want to look?" Karina muttered as Natasha empty the hair on the towel into the bin.

"Just open your eyes," Natasha replied, rolling her eyes. "It's not _that_ bad."

" _It's not that bad_ indicates it is bad," Karina told her as she opened her eyes. "Huh."

"A fringe suits you," Natasha said as she walked out into the bedroom. "I got some clothes."

"Thanks." Karina ran her fingers through her fringe and shrugged her shoulders. She followed Natasha out into the bedroom, catching the pile of clothes she launched at her.

"I got you a jumper because you seem really cold," Natasha explained as she started getting undressed.

"Yeah, I used to much magic back in New Jersey," Karina replied taking her ruined shirt off and putting the jumper on. "The best way I can describe it is when you lose too much blood and your body goes all out of whack."

"And you're really cold and shaky all the time."

"Exactly. I'll be fine, I just need some food." Karina puled the black jeans on, cursing quietly when she stuck her foot through a rip at the knee. "Ripped jeans? Really?"

"Nicest ones I could find that went with that jumper," Natasha replied, smirking.

"Of course," Karina muttered, readjusting her foot and resuming pulling the jeans up. Natasha threw a pair of combat boots at her and Karina resisted the urge to throw them back at her as she put them on and tied them up. She left Natasha in the bedroom and walked out into the kitchen where Steve and Sam were sitting, watching the news quietly.

 _"As of now it is still unclear as to why S.H.I.E.L.D has issued an arrest warrant for Captain Steve Rogers and Agent Karina Odinsdottir with some saying they know important information in regard to the death of Director Nicholas Fury earlier this week and are refusing to talk._

 _"It is, without a doubt, that millions of hearts will break at seeing Captain America and the Enchantress become National fugitives – "_

"The Enchantress?" Karina exclaimed, scowling at the tv. "Oh, Amara is going to have a field day with that if word ever gets back to Asgard."

"Amara?" Sam asked, turning to look at her.

"The _actual_ Enchantress," Karina told him, waving it off. "What's social media saying?"

Sam shrugged. "A lot of 'this can't be happening' and 'knew something was fishy' and a few 'things aren't always what they seem'."

The toaster binged behind them and Sam jumped up, putting the warm toast on a plate and adding it to the array of food on the counter.

"Oh, food." Karina got up and slid into the bar stool, grabbing a plate and piling it with food. Steve sighed despairingly, turning the tv off and joining them at the counter.

"How are you in such good shape if you eat _that_ much?" Sam chuckled, watching Karina butter three pieces of toast and dipping them in the baked beans on her plate.

"Fast metabolism or something," she replied, mouth full. "I'm not as bad as Thor, however."

"No, you are," Natasha replied as she emerged from the bedroom, swiping a piece of toast off Karina's plate, ignoring her cry. "So, if we can get back to the more important issue, the question is: who in S.H.I.E.L.D could launch a domestic missile strike?"

"Pierce," Steve said firmly as he grabbed a hash brown from the tray.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world," Natasha finished.

"That has Project Insight inside it," Karina reminded them as she cut into a sausage.

"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star," Steve added.

"So was Jasper Sitwell."

"So," Steve began, "the real question is: how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D officer in broad daylight?"

"The answer is: you don't." Sam dropped a military file in front of Steve. Karina leaned over, looking at it curiously.

"What's this?" Steve asked as Natasha picked it up.

"Call it a resume," Sam replied, smirking slightly.

"Is this Bakhmala?" Natasha asked as she flicked through it. "The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you." She turned to Steve, glaring slightly. "You didn't say he was a para – rescue."

Steve looked at a photo of Sam and another para in Bakhmala. "Is this Riley?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs," Natasha said as she scanned the file. "What did you use, a stealth cut?"

"No, these." Sam handed Steve another file. It had CLASSIFIFED stamped across it in big red letters and underneath it read _Falcon._

"I thought you said you were a pilot," Steve said, astounded.

"I never said pilot," Sam replied, crossing his arms.

"You really need to listen more often," Karina muttered taking the file out of Steve's hands and flicking through it.

"I can't ask you to do this, Sam," Steve said shaking his head. "You got out for a good reason."

"Dude," Sam started, staring at Steve. "Captain America needs my help. There's not better reason to get back in."

"I like him," Karina chuckled, reaching across the counter and high – fiving Sam.

Steve rolled his eyes, scanning the file. "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?"

"The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve – inch steel wall."

Steve looked over at Natasha and Karina who shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem."


	19. Chapter 19

_Washington D.C_

 _17 hours until Insight launch_

Steve threw Sitwell across the roof, marching towards the agent as he crawled away. Natasha and Karina walked behind him, the latter trying really hard not to smirk at Sitwell's terrified expression.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve demanded stopping just in front of Sitwell.

"Never heard of it."

"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?"

"I was throwing up, I get seasick." Steve grabbed Sitwell's collar and forced him to the edge of the roof. "Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style, Rogers."

"You're right, it's not. It's more Romanoff's but she can't be bothered so." Steve stepped aside and Karina kicked Sitwell off the roof, smirking as he screamed.

"Oh, wait," Natasha said, "what about that girl from accounting, Laura…?" 

"Lillian," Steve replied. "Lip piercing, right?"

"Yeah, she's cute," Natasha added.

"Yeah, I'm not ready for that." Steve sighed, looking up as Sam, in his newly acquired Falcon suit, flew up onto the roof, throwing Sitwell back down onto the roof. Karina, Natasha and Steve walked towards Sitwell who threw his hands up in surrender, cowering under the intense glare coming from the three of them.

"Zola's algorithm is a program…for choosing Insight's targets!" He exclaimed; eyes wide as he stared at Karina's eyes which were glowing purple slightly.

"What targets?" Steve demanded.

"You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defence, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future."

"The Future?" Steve repeated, frowning. "How could it know?"

Sitwell chuckled darkly. "How could it not? The 21stcentury is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it." Steve glanced over at Natasha, both sharing a confused look, whilst Karina simply looked horrified. "Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e – mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."

"And what then?" Steve pressed, noticing the look of horror on Karina's face.

"Oh my god, Pierce is gonna kill me," Sitwell muttered.

"What then?" Steve yelled.

"Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time."

 _Line break_

 _16 hours until Insight launches_

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks," Sitwell muttered as Sam drove along the highway. Between her and Natasha, Karina had drawn the short straw and had to sit next to the agent, silently fuming whilst also trying not to murder him.

"So why don't you try sticking a cork in it," Sam snapped, glaring at Sitwell through the rear-view mirror.

Natasha leant forward, leaning over Steve's shoulder. "Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here."

"Agreed," Karina muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at Sitwell.

"I know," Steve told them both, giving Karina a look that said, _'stop glaring'_. "We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly."

"What?!" Sitwell exclaimed, looking between the four of them. "Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea."

Suddenly there was a loud thud from the roof of the car, interrupting Sitwell's rant. Karina frowned, turning her head up to look at the roof when a hand punched through Sitwell's window, shattering it. The hand grabbed the agent by his shirt collar and flung him across the highway, the agent colliding with a lorry, killing him instantly.

Karina looked up as the man on the roof started firing at them, the bullets piercing the car roof. It was then that she was grateful for Natasha putting her through her paces. Together, the two of them leapt into the front of the car, Natasha landing on Steve whilst Karina landed on Sam. The man on the roof changed his aim, shooting at them through the windscreen and Natasha pulled Steve forward as the bullets hit the headrest behind him. Karina shoved Sam to the side, the bullets just missing both of them.

Steve slammed on the handbrake, bring the car to a sudden halt and the man fell off the roof, rolling down the bonnet. He extended his metal arm, his fingers digging into the concrete as he stopped himself. All four of them stared as he slowly stood up, his metal arm glinting in the sunlight.

Natasha quickly pulled her gun from her pocket, clicking the safety off and aiming it at the man – who Karina quickly assumed was the Winter Soldier judging from the horrified look on Natasha's face. But before Natasha could fire, the entire car was rammed from behind. Natasha dropped her gun as they were all thrusted forward, the car rapidly approaching the Winter Soldier who simply stood there.

As the car hit him, he flipped back up onto the roof, his metal hand scratching along the wind screen. Sam slammed on the brakes, the tires squealing and sparking on the road as they continued to be pushed from behind. The car smelt of rubber and metal as the tyres continued to be worn down as Sam tried to free them from the jeep behind them. Natasha reached down, trying to find her gun as Sam struggled to free the car.

Suddenly, the Winter Soldier's metal hand smashed through the windscreen, ripping the steering wheel from Sam's hands and throwing it away, leaving them flying down the highway with no steering. Natasha, having finally grabbed her gun, started firing at the roof as the Winter Soldier ran off and jumped onto the Jeep behind them.

It didn't take long before the car was running out of control across the road, almost flipping on the central barrier. The Jeep accelerated towards them, ramming them again. The car, with no steering wheel to try and control it, veered towards the central reservation, flipping onto its side.

Steve grabbed his shield, pulling Natasha, Sam and Karina behind it. As the car flipped her smashed the door open, all four of them falling through the air as the car rolled. They landed on the road with a painful thud, the car door underneath Steve's shield screeching as it scraped along the concrete. Sam lost his grip on Steve and fell off the door, rolling across the road as the car door slowly came to a stop. Karina was the first one to her feet, immediately regretting not bringing her sword as the Winter Soldier grabbed a grenade gun and fired it at them, Steve pushing Karina and Natasha out of the way. Steve's shield took the hit and the grenade exploded, the force of the blast throwing Steve off the bridge and into a passing bus below. The bus driver, occupied with wondering what the _hell_ just crashed through the window, missed the lorry coming towards them and the bus flipped over, metal scratching across the road.

Natasha, Karina and Sam quickly ducked behind the abandoned cars on the highway as the Winter Soldier's accomplices began firing their machine guns at them. Natasha fired back at them, quickly jumping over the central reservation as the Winter Soldier fired another grenade at her. It exploded behind her as she rolled across the bonnet of another car, quickly ducking out of the way of an oncoming car.

Karina ran behind another car, ducking down as the back windscreen shattered and a bullet landed in the bumper of the car behind her. She knew she couldn't hide behind the car forever and she also knew that Steve had fallen off the highway into a bus and Natasha had leapt off, running away from yet another grenade blast.

Cursing quietly as more bullets sailed over her head, Karina moved behind a different car, trying to get closer to the edge of the highway. She could survive the jump, that wasn't an issue. What was an issue was her complete lack of weapon. She wasn't her brother, she couldn't just magically summon her sword no matter where she was, nor could she just magically summon her armour.

So, Karina waved at Sam, attracting her attention as she quickly came up with a plan on the spot. He ran over to her, firing his gun, falling down beside her.

"Can you cover me if I leapt off the highway and try and lure the Winter Soldier away from Steve?" She asked, yanking a pipe off the underside of an upturned car. She twirled it in her hand, adjusting to the weight of it and smirked.

Sam nodded, watching her movements. "What are you doing?"

Karina sighed, crouching as she prepared to leap. "Making do."

She nodded at Sam and he stood up, firing his gun at the men approaching them as Karina ran and leapt over the wall, falling into a roll as she landed, standing up and running down the street. Karina ran around the corner, dodging panicking civilians as they tried to escape the chaos of the assassins.

Cars were abandoned all over the street, the engines idling away on some. Steve had managed to get rid of the Winter Soldier's assailants, leaving just him on the war path. It wouldn't be long before S.H.I.E.L.D got word of where they were and came marching down to arrest them all.

Karina got a glimpse of Natasha running ahead of her, waving at civilians to get _out of the way_ , and decided to follow after her when a single gunshot cracked through the screams, hitting Natasha in the shoulder. The assassin fell to the ground behind a car, panting as she put a shaky hand over her gunshot wound, looking around for the Winter Soldier.

Somehow, Karina saw him before Natasha. He jumped onto the bonnet of the car behind her, aiming his gun at Natasha. But before he could fire, Karina ran up to him, smacking him with the pipe and causing him to fall off the car. He was quick to recover, rolling over and glaring at her as he picked up his gun again, aiming it at her.

It was a blur of gunshots, ducking, running and ripping a car door off its hinges and throwing it at the Winter Soldier, trying to slow him down slightly. It knocked the gun out of his hands and Karina could've sworn she heard him growl as he pulled out a knife, twirling it in his hands before running at her.

They were a clash of metal as they both blocked the others attack, Karina wielding her pipe as if it were her sword. The Winter Soldier appeared to be getting increasingly more pissed off at her as she continued to fight him off, leading him away from Natasha and towards the road where she knew Steve was lurking.

He lunged for her side, but Karina dropped her pole into her left hand, blocking his knife and jabbing him in the gut at the same time, the man stumbling back slightly as he recovered. But instead of weakening him, the attack angered him.

The Winter Soldier charged at Karina, grabbing the pole from her hands with his metal arm and throwing it to the ground. Karina crouched down and kicked him in the stomach, using his temporary pain as an advantage to grab her pipe again. She picked it up, readjusting her grip and spun around –

Bang.

Karina dropped the pipe, it clanged to the floor and rolled away. Slowly, her left hand shakily moved to her side where blood was slowly blossoming on to her jumper. Her knees gave way and Karina slumped down against the side of a car, shock seeping into her system as she tried to comprehend what just happened. The Winter Soldier stalked towards her; his gun aimed at her head as she desperately tried to get her legs to work so that she could move out of his range.

As he got closer, Karina closed her eyes, fear seeping into her core. At least she'd get to see Loki and her mother again.

There was a loud clang and Karina's eyes shot open as the Winter Soldier's metal arm met Steve's vibranium shield. Steve started leading the assassin away from Karina, allowing the goddess a chance to try and heal herself. Karina started changeling her magic into her side, holding back a gasp of pain as she felt her skin slowly knit itself back together.

Karina leaned on the car as she pushed herself to her feet, leaving a streak of blood behind on the door as she stumbled over to where Steve was standing, staring in shock at the Winter Soldier.

"Bucky?" Steve gasped quietly, staring at the man.

"Who the hell is Bucky?" The Winter Soldier asked, frowning. Shaking off his surprise, 'Bucky' quickly withdrew his gun, aiming it at Steve. Steve, frozen to the spot, couldn't move and it was only Sam swooping in and knocking 'Bucky' to the floor that broke the super soldier from his shocked state. 'Bucky' quickly got up again, aiming at Steve once again but Natasha fired his grenade gun at him, hitting a car just in front of 'Bucky.' Steve stepped forward as the smoke cleared, coming to a stop when he realised 'Bucky' had vanished in the smoke.

The sound of sirens grew closer as S.H.I.E.L.D finally turned up, cars surrounding them. Karina stumbled closer to Natasha, knowing they were outnumbered, and suddenly let out a gut-wrenching scream, falling to her knees and holding her head.

"Karina!" Sam yelled as he was surrounded by agents. They forced him to his knees as he tried to get to his friend, Natasha staring in shock at her friend as she curled up into a ball on the concrete, holding her head.A high-pitched ringing came from a device one of the agents was holding and Karina curled up, covering her ears in an attempt to stop the noise reaching her ears.

Steve made towards her as she cried out, trying to escape the noise, but Rumlow kicked him to the ground, aiming a gun at his head. He couldn't say anything as Rumlow forced him to his knees, handcuffing his hands behind his back. He could hear Karina crying out in pain as she was forced to her knees, hands cuffed behind her back but couldn't do anything. He was frozen.

Tears fell down Karina's face as her head pounded, the wound in her side bleeding again as she was dragged over to an armoured van. Her magic was gone again, and she could feel her body slowly begin to shut down as her side continued to bleed, a small puddle of blood on the concrete where she'd fallen.

 _Line break_

Karina felt every bone in her body aching as she sat in the back of the van. Her side was still bleeding slowly, the blood staining her jumper and she knew she couldn't heal it unless someone stitched it shut and that wasn't going to be happening any time soon. Not to mention, Rumlow had used that stupid silencer on her again. She had no magic, no sword and no armour.

She was well and truly exposed.

"It was him," Steve said quietly, head hanging low. "He looked right at me like he didn't even know me."

"How's that even possible?" Sam asked, frowning. "That was like seventy years ago."

"Zola," Steve said simply. "Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and…"

"None of that's your fault, Steve," Natasha said tiredly, leaning her head back and wincing as her shoulder throbbed.

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." Steve's head hung low as he realised that his best friend was back, but he wasn't his best friend.

Sam glanced over at Natasha as her head drooped slightly, noticing how much her shoulder was bleeding. "We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck."

One of the guards pulled out an electric rod, aiming it threateningly at Sam. Sam sat back, silenced by the action. However, the guard turned and stabbed the other guard with the rod, knocking them out. They took the helmet off their head and Karina, as much as she could, stared in shock as Maria groaned, flicking her hair out of her eyes.

"Ah. That thing was squeezing my brain." She dumped the hat on the floor and stared at Sam. "Who's this guy?" Maria asked, turning to Steve.

Karina's head suddenly lolled back, her eyes rolling back into her head and Maria quickly ran forward, unlocking the cuffs around her wrists and holding her up as she slumped forward.

"Silencer and GSW," she muttered, checking Karina's pulse. She reached into her pocket, turning to Steve and quickly unlocking the cuffs across his arms. "Unlock those two." Maria turned back to Karina gently holding her face in her hands. "Ria?"

"Mmm," Karina moaned, falling into Maria. Steve crouched down behind Maria, watching Karina in concern.

"We need to get out of here," Maria muttered. "Sam, you get Natasha, Steve you get Karina."

"How?" Sam asked as he carefully helped Natasha stand up, taking most of her weight.

Maria pulled a black pen out of pocket and smirked. "Laser." She quickly cut a circle in the bottom of the van, large enough for all of them to fit through, and the bottom of the van that'd been cut dropped onto the floor.

"What, you expecting us to stop drop and roll?" Sam asked, staring down at the ground as it rushed past.

"Unless you want to be shot and buried?" Maria replied, crossing her arms. "Steve, you go first, then Karina."

"I don't know if she can – "

"I am _fine_ ," Karina muttered, cutting Steve off, leaning on him as she swayed slightly. "Go."

Steve sighed as Karina let go of his arm, attempting to stand by herself. Seeing that she was going to keep being stubborn, Steve crouched down at the edge of the hole and waited. He then jumped down, rolling out the other side of the van.

"Ria," Maria said quietly, helping the woman crouch down. Karina took a deep breath in and dropped, crying out as she landed on her side. She rolled to a stop, Steve running over to her as Sam, Natasha and Maria followed. Steve helped her up, catching her as her knees gave way beneath her. He put a hand around her waist, putting pressure on her wound as Maria ran over to them.

"Van's just around this corner," she told them, leading the way.

Behind them, the convoy kept on going, oblivious to the fact that their precious cargo had escaped with their lives.

 _Line break_

Maria pushed open the side door of the van and Steve jumped out. He extended a hand to Karina as she stepped, or rather fell, out the van into him, leaning heavily on her friend as he put a hand around her waist. Karina put a hand onto her side, holding the gauze Maria had given her against her wound as it kept bleeding.

They'd driven to an abandoned dam just outside Washington, Maria giving them no explanation other than 'it's safe'. Karina looked around as they walked towards the entrance, feeling slightly intimidated by the dam walls surrounding them. The effects of the silencer were beginning to slowly wear off and Karina was trying to heal her wound with the limited amount of magic available to her.

Steve kept a strong arm around Karina's waist as they walked inside the dam, Maria leading the way as a man ran towards them.

"GSW," Maria yelled as he approached them. "Romanoff's lost at least a pint and Karina's lost at least three as well as the Silencer."

"Let me take them," the man replied.

"Don't worry about me, worry about Nat," Karina told them. "I can manage."

"You sure?" Maria asked, frowning as Karina gripped Steve's arm tightly.

Karina nodded. "I'm fine."

"They're gonna want to see him first," Maria said as they walked further into the apparent 'secret base'.

She led them down a corridor, turning right and pulling open a plastic curtain to reveal Nick Fury very much alive.

"What the fuck?" Karina whispered, her nails digging into Steve's hand as she stared at Fury.

"About damn time," Fury replied, staring at the three of them.

 _Line break_

Karina winced as she pressed her hand against her wound, a soft purple glow enveloping it as she healed herself. Her other hand was gripping Steve's tightly as she tried not to pass out, relying on him to keep her present – and to catch her should she fall off the chair she was perched on.

Natasha was sat next to her, wincing every so often as the doctor put pressure on her shoulder. The two hadn't spoken since they'd both been shot, and Karina felt like Natasha was hiding something from her but had yet to decide when was a good time to bring it up.

"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache," Fury listed from his bed, watching Karina closely as her hand glowed.

"Don't forget your collapsed lung," the doctor reminded him.

"Oh, let's not forget that. Otherwise I'm good."

Karina would've rolled her eyes if she didn't feel so crap, squeezing Steve's hand tighter as a wave of nausea hit her. She wished her magic would hurry up and heal her, but the Silencer was still affecting her two hours later.

"They cut you open, your heart stopped," Natasha replied, staring at Fury in a state of shock, swaying slightly as the doctor continued to fix her gunshot wound.

"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute," Fury explained. "Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it."

"Why all the secrecy?" Steve asked suddenly. "Why not just tell us?"

"Any attempt on the Director's life had to look successful," Maria told him, shrugging.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead." Fury sat up a bit, looking at all four of them. "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust." 

Karina glanced over at Natasha, noticing the look on her face as Fury groaned, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Natasha looked…well, upset and pissed off. Fury hadn't trusted her, and it had to hurt, Natasha had dedicated her life to S.H.I.E.L.D since Clint rescued her. Losing that and Nick's trust had to hurt.

"I'll be waiting over here," Fury said as he walked out of the room they were in and into a different, separate room which had a table and chairs set up in it.

Silence fell after he left, no one knowing quite what to say. Natasha hissed every so often as the doctor stitched her wound up, clenching her hand tightly. Karina pulled her hand away from her side, ignoring the blood stained on it as she inspected her wound. A slightly red scar and the stain of blood was all that was left.

Slowly, she stood up, swaying slightly. She grabbed onto the wall behind her, Steve watching her in concern as she stood up properly.

"Bathroom?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

"It's crap," Maria told her, frowning.

"Do I care? No," Karina said, her tone leaving no room to argue.

"Right out of here then left," Maria replied, pointing down the corridor. Karina nodded and stepped out the room, supporting herself on the wall as she walked down to the bathroom.

Maria was right.

It _was_ crap.

The mirror above the sink was cracked and rust covered half of it. The toilet seat was broken, half of it on the floor and the sink was cracked and covered in grime and rust. Karina switched the tap on and it rattled, groaning as cold water came out the pressure pitiful. She put her hands under the water, gently wiping the blood off her hands, staining the running water red.

She switched the tap off and leant on the sink, head hung low. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at herself in the cracked mirror, sighing.

"Oh god," Karina moaned, resisting the urge to smack her head on the sink. "This is so fucked up."

Karina sighed heavily, stretching her back. She straightened up and untied her hair from its knotted bun, letting the long, blonde hair fall down her shoulders. She put the hair tie on her wrist and inspected her leather jacket, pleased no blood or mud had gotten on it. Her jumper, however, was stained red at the side and had a significant hole in it, much to her dismay. Deciding that there wasn't much she could do about it; Karina left the bathroom and went in search of Fury and the others.

The base wasn't much. Considering it was inside a dam, it was a lot drier than expected, but there were still puddles and water dripping down from the pipes. There was almost no natural night, just lights attached to the wall giving off a weird orange light.

Karina found them all in a back room, sitting around a long table with a scattering of files and newspaper clippings in front of them. Silently, Karina sat down next to Sam, leaning back in her chair as Fury picked up a photo of Pierce from his file.

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, 'Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility'." He threw the picture back on to the table and glared at it. "See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

"We have to stop the launch," Natasha said, glancing over at Karina to check she was ok.

Fury sighed. "I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore." He reached across the table and pulled a black case towards him and opened it. Inside were three chips, each about the size of a credit card.

"What's that?" Sam asked, leaning in and looking at the chips.

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized," Maria explained.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own," Fury added, taking a chip out of the case.

"One or two won't cut it." Maria picked up the other two and laid them out on the table in a line. "We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die."

"No pressure then," Karina muttered quietly, crossing her arms.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left…"

"We're not salvaging anything," Steve cut in. "We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D had nothing to do with it," Fury snapped back, glaring.

"S.H.I.E.L.D had everything to do with it the moment HYDRA invaded and spread its web," Karina shot back.

"You gave me this mission; this is how it ends." Steve sighed. "S.H.I.E.L.D's been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave?" Fury asked. "I noticed."

"And how many people paid the price before you did?"

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes."

"Even if you had, would you have told me?" Steve demanded, glaring at Fury. "Or would you have compartmentalized that too? S.H.I.E.L.D, HYDRA, it all goes."

"They're one of the same now," Karina said quietly. "We don't know how far their reach goes, but I can bet it's not just S.H.I.E.L.D. Take S.H.I.E.L.D down we get a chance at taking HYDRA down completely." She paused, looking at them all. "There's nothing left to salvage. The best we can do is try to save what we can."

"They're right," Maria said softly. She looked over at Sam, a slight judgemental look on her face.

"Don't look at me," Sam said, shrugging. "I do what he does just slower."

Karina hid a chuckle at Maria's impressed express at Sam's response, giving the former soldier a wink.

"Well…" Fury sighed, looking at Steve, "looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."

Steve sighed heavily, looking around at them all slowly. Deliberately. "Those Helicarriers will be launching soon and when they do, billions of lives will be at stake. We need to stop them and take them down before they reach maximum altitude whilst also halting Pierce and HYDRA." He looked over at Natasha. "Nat, you and Fury take Pierce. Sam, Karina and I will take the Helicarriers." Steve paused, glancing over at Karina. "Assuming your good?"

Karina nodded. "The Silencer's effects begun to wear off now, especially since I stopped needing to heal myself." She looked over at Fury and Natasha, noticing the look they gave one another and the slight air of tension between them.

"Ok. Hill – "

"Hang on," Karina said, raising a finger and gesturing to Steve to be quiet. She pointed between Natasha and Fury. "You two know something."

"It's not important," Fury lied smoothly, leaning back in his chair.

"Agree to disagree," Karina replied sharply, crossing her arms. A look of realisation dawned on her as she looked at Natasha.

Someone inside S.H.I.E.L.D had ordered for the Silencer to be designed, built and tested. Someone had organised for STRIKE to carry it around. Someone had decided that the Silencer was needed.

"You ordered for the Silencer to be made, didn't you," Karina said, her tone making everyone realise that this wasn't a question.

"It was a worst case scen- "

"What? Like the cage you built for Banner?" Karina snapped. "Or when you tried to trick Steve into thinking no time had passed? You didn't trust me to keep my magic, my emotions, in check. So, you thought you'd build something to take me down, to control me?" Karina didn't realise she was yelling at Fury until she'd finished her rant.

"It was a worst-case scenario," Fury repeated calmly, his steely mood aggravating Karina even more. We didn't know the full extent of your powers, or how you would be without them. The Silencer was just in case something bad happened that we couldn't prevent."

"Hang on," Karina said. She looked over to Natasha. "We?"

"Ari, I did –"

"Oh wow," Karina sneered, clapping slowly. "I _trusted_ you, Tasha. I told you everything about me and you go behind my back and do this? This is why you kept badgering me to learn how to fight without my magic, isn't it? Because you felt guilty about lying to me." She looked over to Steve for backup and froze. "Steve…"

"I only found out yesterday," Steve replied softly, looking up at her. "I was going to tell you."

"Except you didn't, did you?" Karina growled. "You lied, just like them. You try and distinguish yourself from them, Rogers but you're just like them."

"Odinsdottir, I think you're overreacting," Fury told her, standing up. Karina knew her fists were glowing; she could see how scared they were off her as Maria's hand strayed to her gun. The only one who seemed completely unfazed was Sam.

"I don't think I am," Karina spat, standing up abruptly, her chair screeching along the floor. "See, you made a weapon designed to incapacitate me and knock my powers out. That weapon is now in the hands of HYDRA, an organisation intent on taking us down. Do you see my problem?" Karina sighed heavily, tugging on her hair. "I need some air."

"Ria," Natasha began, but Karina cut in.

"No." She looked over at her friend sadly. "Just don't."

 _Line break_

 _Karina ran through the halls of the palace of Asgard, hair streaming behind her like a long blonde ribbon. Loki chased behind her, giggling the entire time as the two dodged servants and guards a like._

 _"Loki and Karin Odinson," Frigga called as she stumbled upon her giggling children almost tripping over a maid, "what are you two doing?"_

 _"Ria's got magic!" Loki exclaimed excitedly as Karina giggled, her hands glowing purple._

 _"Oh, has she now?" Frigga asked, crouching down to look at a suddenly bashful Karina as she hid behind Loki. Frigga wouldn't admit it, but she nearly regretted sharing her power with Karina. As much as Odin loved the girl, he would immediately over-react and force her to limit her powers, never allowing her to reach her full potential._

 _"Loki, sweetheart," Frigga said, taking her son's hand. "Why don't you go to the kitchens and ask for some cakes. Karina will meet you in your room."_

 _Loki frowned at his mouth, not wanting to live his sister, but his desire for cake won and he pressed a quick kiss onto Karina's cheek before running off down the corridor._

 _Frigga smiled as she picked Karina up, sitting down on a bench and putting her daughter in her lap. "What colour is it?"_

 _"Purple!" Karina exclaimed, showing her mother a small flame of fire. "And its fire."_

 _Frigga tenderly tucked a stray piece of hair behind Karina's ear as she played with her flame, throwing it from one hand to the other. "Ria, darling," Frigga began, gently turning Karina to face her. "I want to tell you something."_

 _Karina stared back up at her mother, eyes wide in curiosity. "What?"_

 _"In life," Frigga began slowly, "there will be people who try to put you down. Who try to limit your powers." She tilted Karina's face up until it she was looking her straight in the eye. "But you never let them."_

 _"But what if I lose control?" Karina asked absently, her mind attached to the purple butterfly she'd just made floating around their heads._

 _"You never will," Frigga replied softly. "Because I will teach you how to be the best you can be. How to always be in control and to_ never _let them control you."_

 _Line break_

Karina slumped down against the wall, tucking her knees under her chin. Natasha had lied to her. Fury had lied to her. How many people had lied to her? Yes, lies were a part of being a spy, it was natural to lie and not tell the whole truth, but she _trusted_ these people with her life. With her magic. She trusted them to protect her and keep her safe and they threw it back in her face.

She shivered slightly as the wind picked up, tossing a few leaves about the ground. Why she always gave people her trust so willingly would always confuse her. It only left her open to heartache and loss.

Loki.

Thor.

Natasha.

Nick.

Steve.

All of them had betrayed her trust at some point. And, like an idiot, she kept giving them chances. Kept on trusting them, thinking it wouldn't happen again. And every time it did. And every time it happened, she looked like an idiot. She _felt_ like an idiot.

"Hey," Sam said softly as he approached her, hands in his pockets.

Karina looked up at him, trying – and failing – to disguise the tears on her face. "Have you come to try and calm me down, so I don't explode?"

Sam chuckled softly, sitting down next to her, back against the wall. "No, I've come to make sure my friend's alright."

"I'd be lying if I said I was," Karina muttered, picking up a stick from the ground and twirling it between her fingers. She sighed heavily, letting her head fall back against the wall. Sam didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Karina knew how he felt and was grateful for the lack of conversation, his presence simply enough. She shuffled closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"The reason I hate being lied to," Karina began quietly, "is because my father has lied to me nearly all my life. He lied to me about Loki, he lied to me about my powers, he lied to me about why I couldn't go to battle." She sighed. "My mother gave me my powers. She shared her magic with Loki and I so that we weren't overshadowed by Thor. So that we had our own talent. Except mine was, volatile, at times. I had control over it, but sometimes – rarely – it controlled me.

"I was six when my mother gave me my magic, Loki and Thor were eight. Loki was running away from Thor, something about snakes and knives, when he found me glowing purple with butterflies following me through the halls. He took me to see our mother and she sat me down and gave me some advice. Advice that I didn't listen to then, I was only six, but now…now I am. She said: _'Never let them control you.'_ and now I know why."

Karina lifted her head off Sam's shoulder and looked at her friend. "I joined S.H.I.E.L.D to help protect the world, to be more than just a princess, to be more than just a warrior for show, never to see the dark of battle. Instead I traded in my freedom and my ability to trust. Knowing that HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D have that weapon, have the ability to control me, makes me angry. I'm done being scared, Sam. It's time I took back control."

Sam nodded, having being quiet through her explanation. "I get it. When I got out, I suddenly had my freedom back. I could dress how I wanted, to whatever I wanted. But, as time went on, I realised that I was never truly free."

"PTSD?" Karina asked softly, recognising the haunted look in his eyes.

Sam nodded once. "So, I chose to face it head on, trying to get some control back into my life. I'm yet to find out if it worked or not."

Someone cleared their throat and the two of them looked up. Steve was standing there, looking slightly sheepish at interrupting them.

"Can I talk to her?" Steve asked Sam and the ex-soldier jumped to his feet, patting Steve on the back as he passed. Steve sat down next to Karina, the goddess trying her best not to snap at him. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Ria," Steve said softly, sensing her cool tone. "I'm sorry, Natasha told me on the ride to New Jersey and I never got a chance to tell you."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time we lied to one another," Karina replied quietly, crossing her arms. "I don't blame you, Steve. Nor do I blame Tasha. Honestly, I blame Fury and his damn lies."

"Don't we all." Steve sighed, shuffling closer to Karina. "We need to take those carriers down."

"I know."

"We've got to get past HYDRA and Bucky and put those chips in the carriers. There's only two of us who can actually do it - "

"Three."

Steve turned to look at her. "Huh?"

"I'm helping," Karina elaborated. "I'm taking back control from HYDRA, from S.H.I.E.L.D and doing things my way. I can help take down the carriers and stop HYDRA."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked, concern in his eyes as he looked at his friend. "They've got the plans for the Silencer and they'll know we're coming."

Karina shrugged. "I'm not scared anymore, Steve. I'm pissed. And quite frankly, I think that makes me more dangerous than anyone else." Karina stood up, dusting the dirt of her jeans. "All I need now is a suit."

* * *

 **In the time I've been gone, Spider-Man as left the MCU and come back again** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Hope you enjoyed this very delayed chapter - no incorrect quote this time as it's getting rather late where I am. Also, 100 followers, (whooop)**


	20. Chapter 20

The main control room for the Triskelion was rather quiet that day, a few techs sitting in their chairs watching the camera, complaining about Mike from Accounting coming back from Afghanistan and nicking someone's parking spot.

"I've been parking there for two months," one moaned, spinning in his chair.

"But it's his spot," the other reminded him.

"So, where's he been?"

"I think Afghanistan."

"Well, he could have said something," the first one grumbled. "Ow," he cried as a sharp, ringing noise came through their earpieces.

"Must be the dish," the second one commented, fiddling with his earpiece.

"I'll check it out," the first one muttered, pushing back his chair and walking over to the door. He opened it, stumbling to a stop when he came face to face with Steve, Sam, Karina and Maria. Sam and Maria pointed their guns at him as Steve stepped forward.

"Excuse us," Steve said, and the tech put his hands up, letting all four of them past. Karina winked at the tech as she passed, her sword glinting in the light. The tech's eyes widened when he saw her sword and he visibly gulped, pressing himself against the door.

The rest of the tech's scattered about the room quickly vanished, leaving the four of them alone and in charge of the PA and cameras.

"Whenever you're ready, Cap," Maria announced, flicking a few switches. Steve stepped forward, pulling the microphone closer to him as Karina and Sam flanked him either side.

Steve took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly. "Attention, all S.H.I.E.L.D agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. S.H.I.E.L.D is not we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you.

"They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

Steve stepped back, silence following his words. Sam smirked at him as Steve turned around.

"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" He asked, breaking the silence.

Karina snorted. "He has a talent for making speeches up on the spot, should've heard the speech he gave us during New York."

"If you two are done," Steve muttered, glaring at them both as the sniggered.

* * *

Karina felt butterflies in her stomach as her, Sam and Steve walked towards the Helicarriers. She'd made a rough suit from scraps of Natasha's and Maria's, a black tank top, black jeans, combat boots and her leather jacket over the top. She'd left her hair down and tied her sword – which Maria had found in an alley that _wasn't_ the one she'd left it in – to her waist.

"Hey, Cap," Sam called as they jogged across the roof, "how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?"

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad," Steve replied.

Sam took off into the air as Steve and Karina jumped down onto the Helicarrier below them. The three Helicarriers were only just beginning to take off giving them ten minutes before they reached maximum altitude.

"I've got the other carrier!" Karina yelled as she dodged a HYDRA agent firing at her.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Steve yelled back as he hid behind a stack of crates.

Karina smirked as she walked backwards. "No promises!"

She jumped off the side of the Helicarrier, using her magic to propel herself onto the third Helicarrier, landing behind a jet as HYDRA agents milled about.

" _Hey, Cap,"_ Sam called, " _I found those bad guys you were talking about._ "

Karina looked up to where Sam was flying about, concern on her face as the guns chased him through the air.

" _You okay?_ " Steve asked, glancing up at Sam.

" _I'm not dead yet_ ," Sam replied, and Karina scoffed.

"Don't hold your breath," she muttered, pulling a gun out of the back of her jeans. Swords were good, but when you had twenty enemy agents firing guns at you, you need a little more firepower.

Pun intended.

Karina peeked over the wing of the jet, seeing at least ten HYDRA agents approaching her with guns aimed. She sighed heavily, clicking the safety off her gun and stood up, firing at the ten agents in quick succession. All of the bullets hit their mark, the agents at the end of them falling to the ground.

Now that HYDRA knew what they were up to, things were now ten times harder. More and more HYDRA agents flooded out onto the runway, the guns on either side of the ship powering up and firing at Sam as he swooped past.

" _Alpha locked,_ " Steve said, and Karina felt a little bit of tension fade from her shoulders as she quietly opened the door to the inside of the helicarrier.

" _Falcon, where are you now?_ " Maria asked as Karina shot dead another two guards running towards her.

" _Had to take a detour!_ " Sam exclaimed and Karina saw him fly past as the helicarrier fired missiles at him. Sam looped over himself, flying close to the helicarrier as the missiles followed. There was a loud explosion as the missiles hit the end of the helicarrier, another smashing through the central control system. Sam then flew through the large hole it'd created, inserting the chip and flying out again.

" _I'm in. Bravo locked,"_ Sam announced as Karina dodged a punch from a guard, sliding under his legs.

" _Two down, one to go_ ," Maria said. _"Karina, how's things your end?"_

Karina went to answer but instead let out a grunt of pain as she was elbowed in the stomach, coughing as she tried to get her breath back. Growling in annoyance, she waved a hand and the two HYDRA agents flew into the walls, falling to the ground with a thud.

"I could do with some backup," she wheezed, stumbling through to the next room.

" _We're coming,_ " Steve called.

Karina was highly aware of HYDRA's control over her with the Silencer, but it didn't stop her from throwing agents into the walls, ripping guns out of hands and smashing windows.

" _Charlie Carrier's forty – five degrees off the port bow_ ," Maria called over the comms. " _Six minutes._ "

"Yep, I am _very_ aware of that, Maria." Karina sighed as she peeked her head around the door, seeing a troop of agents waiting for her.

" _Hey, Sam, I'm gonna need a ride_ ," Steve said as Karina went a different route, trying to avoid killing any more agents.

" _Roger! Let me know when you're ready_ ," Sam replied.

Distantly, Karina heard an explosion and rolled her eyes. "I think he just did."

" _You know_ ," Sam grumbled, " _you're a lot heavier than you look."_

" _I had a big breakfast_ ," Steve replied. He suddenly let out a grunt of pain.

" _Steve_!" Sam yelled and Karina felt her heart drop. She had no idea what was happening but had a sneaking suspicion it involved Bucky. " _Cap? Cap, come in. Are you okay?"_

" _Yeah, I'm here!"_ Steve's voice came over the comms and Karina allowed herself a moment to sigh in relief. _"I'm still on the Helicarrier. Where are you?"_

" _I'm grounded, the suit's down. Sorry, Cap."_

" _Don't worry, we got it, right Ria?"_

"Right." Karina exhaled slowly, changing the empty magazine in her gun for a fresh one. Steve suddenly appeared next to her and Karina smiled at him. Together they walked onto the walkway leading to the control system, slowly coming to a stop.

Bucky stood opposite them, blocking the control system. Karina vaguely noticed a Silencer on his belt and hoped he wasn't going to use it, not now.

"People are gonna die, Buck," Steve said softly, stepping closer to his old friend. "I can't let that happen." Bucky stared back at Steve, no emotion in his face. "Please, don't make me do this." Steve sighed quietly, realising that Bucky wasn't backing down. He threw his shield at his friend, Karina jumping out the way as Bucky flung it back at Steve.

She reached inside her jacket, fingers curling around the chip as behind her Steve and Bucky fought it out. Bucky grabbed a gun, firing it at Steve, a bullet managing to get past his shield and hit him in the side. Karina kept back, knowing she needed to get to the controls. Steve shoved Bucky out the way with his shield and Karina ran forward, quickly typing in the code.

A single gunshot.

Karina looked down and saw a dark stain beginning to spread across her right side and if she hadn't been in so much pain, she'd have rolled her eyes.

"Again? Seriously?" She muttered, wrapping Bucky's gun in purple and ripping it out of his hand and chucking it over the side of the railings. Bucky ran at Steve again, Karina barely getting out of the way in time.

Bucky suddenly pulled out a knife, Steve pushing against the metal arm trying to stab him. Karina kicked Bucky in the knees, catching the knife as he dropped it, turning around to face her. He ran at her, throwing her into the railings as Steve tried to catch his breath.

Karina screamed as her right side hit the railings, her bullet wound roaring with pain. Bucky reached down to the Silencer on his belt and Karina raised her foot, kicking it off and letting it scatter across the floor as Steve ran towards them.

Bucky pushed Karina out the way, tackling Steve over the balcony, sending them both crashing down onto the glass below. Karina panted, leaning heavily on the railings as she stood up. She reached into her pocket, eyes widening in horror as she realised the chip wasn't in her pocket anymore.

She leaned over the balcony and saw it lying on the glass below, metres away from Steve. Steve looked up at Karina and gave her a single nod. He ran towards the chip, only for Bucky to throw Steve's shield at him, the super-soldier falling to the ground as he caught it, protecting himself from the bullets Bucky was firing at him.

Bucky picked up the Silencer from where Karina had thrown it, turning the dial around to max and pressing it once. He had a cold look in his eyes, but Steve could see behind it and see the pain his friend was in.

Steve looked up in panic as screamed, falling to her knees and holding her head. Blood began to drip from her nose as she covered her ears. Bucky used Steve's distraction to his advantage, tackling Steve to the ground, punching him in the stomach.

" _One minute_ ," Maria said over the comms as Bucky and Steve battled it out on the glass. He was so near the chip, but Bucky had it in his hand, refusing to let go. Somehow, Steve managed to get Bucky into a headlock, choking him until he passed out, letting go of the chip.

Steve jumped to his feet, grabbing the chip. He quickly ran up the glass, jumping up and swinging himself up. Another gunshot cracked through the air and Steve fell, a bullet wound in the back of his leg. He glanced back and saw Bucky aiming his gun at him. Shaking off the pain, Steve carried on jumping up and grabbing hold of the railings.

Bucky shot at him again, missing his hand by inches. Steve swung, jumping up onto the walkway, rolling under the railings. Karina was slumped against the control system, blood staining her black tank top. Steve hobbled over, pulling the chip out of his belt.

 _Another gunshot._

Steve slumped to the floor, staring down at his stomach in shock as blood began to stain his uniform. Karina stared at him through pain-filled eyes, vaguely seeing the blood. Summoning all of her energy and what was left of her magic, she stood up, picking up the chip from where Steve had dropped it and inserting it into the controls.

"Charlie locked," she said breathlessly, leaning heavily on the controls. She carelessly wiped at the blood from her nose, smudging it across her lip as she looked back at Steve.

" _Okay, Cap, Ria, get out of there."_

"Fire now," Steve said, looking at Karina. The goddess nodded once, falling to her knees.

" _But, Steve…"_

"Do it!" Steve yelled. A moment passed and then there was a loud explosion and the entire helicarrier rocked.

* * *

Natasha could only watch as one of the Helicarrier's smashed through the upper levels of the Triskelion, fire and smoke pouring out of its engines.

" _Please, tell me you got that chopper in the air!"_ Sam yelled as the Helicarrier continued its destructive path.

"Sam, where are you?" Natasha asked, looking around for any sign of him.

" _41_ _st_ _floor, north-west corner!"_

"We're on it, stay where you are!" Natasha replied as Fury piloted the helicopter towards Sam's location, swerving to avoid falling debris.

" _Not an option!"_ Sam yelled and Natasha saw him jump out of the window. Fury turned the helicopter onto its side as Sam fell through the air, smashing through one door. Natasha grabbed his arm and hauled him inside the helicopter as Fury righted it.

"41st floor, 41st!" Sam exclaimed angrily as he recovered from his near-death experience.

"It's not like they put the numbers on the outside of the building!" Fury snapped back.

"Hill, where's Steve and Ria? You got a location on them?" Natasha asked as they dodged the falling debris from the helicarrier above.

" _Last I heard they were both still on the Charlie Helicarrier, Steve ordered me to fire."_

Natasha and Sam shared a worried look as they turned towards the helicarrier, fear striking deep as they saw it begin to explode as missiles were launched at it, every single on finding its mark.

* * *

Karina stumbled down onto the glass below, falling to her knees as another blast rocked the helicarrier. Steve grunted as he tried to lift a large piece of metal of Bucky, the assassin trapped underneath it. Karina hobbled over and lifted one end, allowing Steve to lift the other. Bucky wriggled out and Karina dropped the metal, falling to the ground as she panted.

"You know me," Steve told Bucky as he stared back at him. Bucky growled and lashed out at him, Steve gently blocking his punches.

"No, I don't!" Bucky yelled back, punching him in the stomach.

"Bucky, you've known me your whole life," Steve said gently, no longer defending himself from Bucky's attacks.

Karina felt her entire body sway, black spots beginning to obscure her vision and stumbled back, tripping over a piece of metal. Her sword fell from her hand, falling into the water below.

"Steve," she whispered softly as his shield fell from his grasp. Steve looked back at her, eyes wide in horror as her knees gave way and she fell, the glass beneath her shattering, no longer able to hold her weight. She vaguely heard someone screaming her name as she fell, glass and metal falling with her, but all she could hear was the wind and feel how weightless she felt.

As the water got close, her eyes fluttered shut and Karina realised that, if she was to die, she'd be happy.

 _She'd done her duty._

Karina's body hit the Potomac with a thud, the water swallowing her whole. All around her, debris, and fire rained down, the helicarrier above burning in the sky. Karina slowly sank down, her body shivering from the cold. She was completely limp as she floated down to the bottom of the Potomac, the goddess making no effort to try and survive.

 _She'd done her duty._

As her lungs started straining for breath, her back hit the ground, her hitting the sandy ground. Air bubbles escaped her lips as the last of her breath escaped her body, her mind accepting of her fate.

 _She'd done her duty._

A hand grabbed Karina's arm, yanking her limp, practically lifeless, body up and towards the chaos of above. They kept on pulling, grabbing her under her arms as they surfaced, keeping her head up as they swam to the shore. Karina's head lolled into their neck, resting there as they continued to swim.

Gently, they dragged her onto the damp sand, carefully laying her down as if she would break. A metal hand pushed a strand of wet hair out of her face, hovering over her as sirens approached.

Quickly, the mysterious figure disappeared as there was a commotion behind the bushes, people running down to the shore. Natasha was the first to appear on the beach, trying not to panic as she saw Karina and Steve lying impossibly still on the shore, both soaking wet and only one of them breathing.

The agents behind her ran to Steve and Natasha ran over to Karina, falling to her knees next to her friend. She wasn't breathing and her face was pale, almost as if she was dead. Sam kneeled down opposite Natasha as Steve was cared for by the medics.

 _She'd done her duty._

"Ria…" Natasha whispered quietly, scared to touch her.

Suddenly, Karina started coughing, hacking up the water from her lungs. Sam quickly rolled her onto her side, gently rubbing her back as she continued to cough. Karina panted heavily, leaning against Sam as her brain caught up with what had happened.

She'd survived.

* * *

The hospital was a flurry of activity, most of the nurses now used to the two-armed guards standing outside of Captain America's room. The woman using the coffee machine with a sword tied to her jeans, however, was taking more getting used to.

Karina patiently waited for the machine to finish making her coffee, pouring a splash of milk into the cup and stirring it. She smiled at the nurses as they passed, most of them smiling back at her. Trying not to spill her drink, Karina pressed the plastic lid onto the top of the cup, pulling her jumper sleeve down over her hand to avoid burning her hand.

She grabbed the packet of crisps she'd got from the vending machine and headed back towards Steve's room, nodding at the armed guards as they opened the door for her.

Sam looked up as she walked in, Trouble Man playing softly in the room. Karina tucked a leg underneath herself as she sat down, setting her coffee down on the table and opening her crisps. She reached over and grabbed her book, flicking to the last page she was on, and quietly sipping her coffee.

"On your left," Steve croaked, and Karina smirked as she turned the page. She looked over at Sam and they smiled at each other. Karina's phone buzzed and she pulled it out her pocket, reading the news headline with a frown.

 _Government agency, S.H.I.E.L.D, has collapsed following infiltration by HYDRA. Agent Natasha Romanoff attends a hearing in Washington, watch_ _live here._

Karina swiped open the app, the live stream quickly popping up and playing quietly. Steve turned his head as Natasha's voice came over her phone and Karina stood up, sitting down on the bed next to him and holding the phone out for them both to see.

" _Why haven't we heard from Captain Rogers?" One member of the committee asked._

 _Natasha sighed. "I don't know what there is left for him to say. I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently."_

" _Well," the Committee General began, "he could explain how this country's expected to maintain its national security now that he, Odinsdottir and yourself have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus."_

" _HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence," Natasha shot back._

" _Many of which you seem to have had a personal hand in telling."_

" _Agent," Scudder said, interrupting the Committee General, "you should know that there are some on this committee who feel, given your service record, both for this country and against it, that you belong in a penitentiary, not mouthing off on Capitol Hill."_

" _You're not going to put me in a prison. You're not gonna put any of us in a prison. You know why?"_

 _Scudder sighed. "Do enlighten us."_

" _Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we helped make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it/ So, if you want to arrest me, arrest me. You'll know where to find me."_

 _Natasha stood up and walked out of the room, ignoring the journalists yelling questions at her and the camera's flashing around her_

Sam chuckled. "She sure knows how to make an exit."

Karina looked at Steve and could see how angry he was, a muscle jumping as he clenched his jaw. "Sam, can you grab me a chocolate bar?"

Sam looked up, noticing Steve's expression and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Steve," Karina said softly, grabbing his hand in hers.

"This is my fault," Steve whispered.

"Nope, don't go there," Karina told him, shaking her head, "this is HYDRA. If it's anyone's fault, it's S.H.I.E.L. D's. They hired Zola; they missed the thirty-year invasion. You stopped them."

"We stopped them," Steve corrected softly, recognising the haunted look Karina was failing to hide. "What happened?"

Karina shook her head softly.

"Ria?"

Karina inhaled shakily, gripping Steve's hand tightly as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I almost drowned in the Potomac, but, I think, Bucky saved me. He dragged me out and only left me when he knew Natasha was coming from what Sam's told me. I had surgery to get the bullets out – Tony managed to find someone who had a strong enough sedative for me – but I'm fine now."

"You're far from fine," Steve corrected, "but we're okay, Ria." He said nothing as Karina let out a sob, the emotions and stress of the past couple of days suddenly hitting her. He wrapped an arm around her, bringing her into his chest as she sobbed.

"We're still alive."

* * *

" _Well, Molly, the past couple of days have been filled with lies and deception, not just from HYDRA but also S.H.I.E.L.D. It all began when Captain America himself, Steve Rogers, and the Enchantress, Karina Odinsdottir, were declared fugitives by S.H.I.E.L.D after the death of ex – S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. From there, a chain of event occurred that led to the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D itself._

" _We don't know much about_ how _S.H.I.E.L.D fell, but we know that the ex - rogue Nazi faction HYDRA resurfaced in the '90s and slowly invaded S.H.I.E.L.D from the inside. Alexander Pierce, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D was the leader of HYDRA, showing just how deep this invasion goes._

" _Their entire plan was to hijack the launch of Project Insight, using the anti-terrorist algorithm for their own gain, killing anyone who was a threat to HYDRA itself. Captain Rogers and Agent Odinsdottir managed to stop the Insight launch along with veteran soldier Sam Wilson. The Triskelion was destroyed in this battle and the three Insight helicarriers crashed into the Potomac, much to the horror of onlookers in Washington._

" _Agent Natasha Romanoff was put before a committee this week to answer questions the country, even the world, have been asking ever since the attack. Romanoff was also the one responsible for dumping S.H.I.E.L.D's data onto the internet, revealing HYDRA's secrets as well as her own. The ex - S.H.I.E.L.D agents past has been the subject to much debate since the dump, with many calling her a monster in disguise._

" _However, if it wasn't for the, perhaps, suicidal actions of Romanoff, Rogers, Odinsdottir and Wilson, HYDRA would've succeeded in its attack. It appears the world owes the three Avengers and ex-soldier a great deal more than what they are given them."_

* * *

The graveyard were Fury's grave sat was beautiful. Trees lined the walkway between the graves and there were a lot of flowers dotted about. Fury's grave was situated underneath a large tree and someone had placed flowers in front of it, the bright yellow and pink standing out against the grey of the stone.

Karina stood in between Sam and Steve, hair tied up in a bun and her leather jacket – which had somehow survived the mess at the Triskelion, over a burgundy top. She was still sore from her trip into the Potomac, but her magic and Asgardian blood had managed to heal the majority of her injuries.

"So," Fury began as he joined them, "you've experienced this sort of thing before?"

Steve sighed as he looked at Fury's grave. "You get used to it."

"We've been data – mining HYDRA's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come." Fury looked between Steve and Karina.

"There's something I gotta do first," Steve replied, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Karina?"

"Nah," she replied, putting her hands in her pockets, "I've got stuff to do."

Fury rolled his eyes. "How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy," Sam replied, and Karina smiled at him.

"Alright then." Fury extended his hand to Steve. They shook hands and Fury nodded to his grave. "Anybody asks for me; tell them they can find me right here."

As Fury walked away, Natasha appeared beside them carrying a large file.

"You should be honoured," she said, smiling, "that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you."

"Not going with him?" Steve asked, turning to face his friend.

"No."

"Not staying here?"

"I blew all my covers," Natasha replied. "I gotta go figure out a new one."

"That might take a while," Steve said, giving her a knowing look.

Natasha smirked. "I'm counting on it." She pulled the file out from under her arm and handed it to Steve. "That thing you asked for, I called in a few favours from Kiev." Steve took it and flicked through it quickly, eyes scanning the information. "Will you do me a favour? Call that nurse."

Steve chuckled. "She's not a nurse."

"And you're not a S.H.I.E.L.D agent," Natasha reminded him.

"What was her name again?"

"Sharon. She's nice." Natasha leant up and kissed Steve on the cheek. "Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread."

Karina walked after Natasha, leaving Sam and Steve alone for a moment.

"What are you going to do?" Natasha asked.

Karina shrugged. "S.H.I.E.L.D was in possession of Loki's sceptre. There's been no sign of it since it fell so I'm assuming HYDRA have it."

"Which is not good," Natasha summed up.

"Basically," Karina replied. "The power that sceptre holds is insane. The weapons and defence HYDRA could mount with it… what HYDRA could _do_ with it. I'm going to head back to New York and ask Tony and Bruce to help me look for it."

"Well," Natasha began, "that does sound like fun."

"Two months?"

"Probably," Natasha replied, smirking.

"How's Clint?" Karina asked, crossing her arms. "His family safe?"

"They're all fine. I managed to delete any and all files related to him and Missouri so, no one should come looking for him anytime soon."

Karina nodded. "Good."

Natasha suddenly hugged Karina. "Be safe, Ari. I'm only a phone away."

"I know." Karina kissed Natasha on the cheek as she let go. "Don't take too long, I can't be the only woman on the team."

Natasha laughed as she walked away and Karina sighed fondly, turning back to Steve.

"You're going after him?" Sam asked as Karina re-joined them, slipping her arm through his.

"You don't have to come with me," Steve told him.

"I know," Sam smirked. "When do we start?"

* * *

"It's over," List said as they walked through the lab. "Fury has released everything to the public."

"Everything he knows about," Strucker replied, smirking.

"Herr Strucker, if they get word of our work here, if they find out we serve HYDRA…"

Strucker scoffed. "HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D, two sides of a coin that's no longer currency." They walked over to the table where Loki's sceptre was sat, quietly whirring. "We've only scratched the surface and already… there are other facilities doing HYDRA's good work around the world. We'll feed them to Captain America and the Enchantress. Keep them off our scent."

"What about the volunteers?" List asked as they left the lab.

"The dead will be buried so deep their own ghosts won't be able to find them."

"And the survivors?"

"The twins." Strucker stopped in front of the two glass cells were Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were being kept. Pietro ran about, a blue blur whilst Wanda lifted wooden stacking blocks into the air with her magic. Her eyes stared at them in wonder as the red magic tore them apart. "Sooner or later they will meet the twins. It's not a world of spies, anymore, not even a world of heroes. This is the age of miracles, doctor. There's nothing more horrifying than a miracle."

"And the girl?"

Strucker smirked. "She'll come. Give her time. She'll soon be ours."


End file.
